MOSCOW, June 19. /TASS/. Tens and hundreds of Ukrainian diplomats refuse to return to their homeland, unwilling to have anything to do with Kiev regime, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin said in an interview for Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

"It is obvious that, under current nationalist authorities, no dissidents in Ukraine can openly state their position out of fear of repressions against themselves or their relatives. Therefore many officials prefer to leave the country, unwilling to have anything to do with the Kiev regime," he noted. "This trend is particularly characteristic for employees of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, who are aware about Ukraine’s true perspectives like no one else. Tens and hundreds of Ukrainian diplomatic employees simply refuse to return to their homeland once their missions are over."

The intelligence head also underscored that "even Ukrainians who share nationalist sentiments do so, because their belief in Kiev’s victory is fading as well."

Naryshkin pointed out that, in October last year, employees of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry and diplomatic missions received a list of open positions, which included about 100 offices. Meanwhile, in January 2023, the list included 140 positions, "while the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry staff includes about 600 employees."

"Judging by the information coming to the Foreign Intelligence Service, the issue of employees that refused to come back has reached scale that may jeopardize Foreign Ministry’s normal operation," he concluded.