The Israeli occupation government is "corrupt", a senior Ukrainian official told the Israeli newspaper Israel Hayom on Thursday.

The Israeli outlet reported that in an "unprecedented diplomatic attack," the Ukrainian official accused ministers within the Israeli cabinet of corruption, which he said was affecting "Tel Aviv's" policy regarding the Ukraine war.

Unlike the Israeli government, the official said, "the Western governments realized that they must support Ukraine. We were badly surprised by the Israeli government - some of the ministers are doing business with Russia, and we understood that this is a corrupt government."

The official spoke on the condition of anonymity, which prompted the Israeli occupation's foreign ministry to say that they "do not respond to anonymous allegations."

Russian-Israeli relations have undergone tensions recently, especially in light of "Tel Aviv" announcing that it was sending thousands of helmets and vests to Kiev's forces. The announcement was accompanied by statements from senior Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, alleging that Russia "committed war crimes in Ukraine."

The official also expressed fear over a "scenario" that would provide Russia with an excuse to use nuclear weapons. "According to the Russian constitution, an attack on Russian territory justifies the use of nuclear weapons," he asserted, noting that any attack on Crimea could lead to a Russian retaliation.

Moscow accused the Israeli occupation of backing "the neo-Nazi regime in Kiev" in early May. Days later, Russia confirmed that Israeli mercenaries were fighting alongside extremist nationalists in Ukraine.

During an interview with Sputnik, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova added that there are Israeli mercenaries fighting alongside the extremist nationalist battalions within the Azov Battalion in Ukraine.