Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, maintains a public profile to broadcast his message and intimidate Russia. A necessity of modern warfare, Budanov believes, is to stay out of the shadows, a trend he claims Ukraine is setting.
Since Ukraine lost the informational war when Russia seized Crimea in 2014, Budanov believes that Ukraine has been winning the current informational battle since 2022. Capitalizing on recent instability in Russia, he’s been outspoken about Ukraine’s intelligence on its adversary.
Budanov alleges that Ukraine has “sources” near Russian President Putin, allowing them to stay informed. Appointed in 2020, Budanov’s popularity in Ukraine has surged due to his image as a mastermind fighting Russia. Conversely, he’s a vilified figure in Russian media.
Despite numerous assassination attempts since taking charge of Ukraine’s spy service, Budanov remains defiant. Drawing comparisons with Israel’s Mossad, he doesn’t resist the analogy, implying that Ukraine, like Mossad, will eliminate enemies of the state.