Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), emerges from the shadows, demonstrating an unusually public presence for a spy chief amidst the ongoing war with Russia. He’s leveraging this visibility to communicate his messages and pose a challenge to Russia.
Key Points:
- Budanov argues that contemporary warfare necessitates spy chiefs to maintain a public presence, a shift from traditional expectations of clandestine operations.
- Since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, Budanov states Ukraine has revamped its information warfare strategy, and he believes Russia is currently losing the information battle.
- Budanov claims to have reliable intelligence sources close to Russian President Putin, giving Ukraine insights into Russia’s plans and actions.
- A hate figure in Russian media, Budanov’s popularity has surged in Ukraine, where he’s seen as a mastermind orchestrating effective retaliation against Russia.
- In response to a question about his agency’s comparison to Israel’s Mossad, Budanov affirms that his agency has been and will continue eliminating enemies of the state.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-spymaster-comes-out-shadows-2023-07-14/
