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Kyrylo Budanov

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Oleksiiovych and the family name is Budanov.

Kyrylo Budanov
Кирило Буданов
Budanov in 2024
Chief of the
Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine
Incumbent
Assumed office
5 August 2020
Preceded byVasyl Burba
Personal details
Born (1986-01-04) 4 January 1986 (age 38)
Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Kyiv, Ukraine)
SpouseMarianna O. Budanova
Alma materOdesa Military Academy
AwardsHero of Ukraine
Military service
AllegianceUkraine
Branch/serviceArmed Forces of Ukraine
RankLieutenant general
CommandsMain Directorate of Intelligence
Battles/warsRusso-Ukrainian War (WIA)

Kyrylo Oleksiiovych Budanov (Ukrainian: Кирило Олексійович Буданов; born 4 January 1986) is a Ukrainian military leader who has served as the chief of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine since August 2020.[1] Budanov previously served as the deputy director of one of the departments of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine. He holds the rank of lieutenant general.[2]

Early life and education

Budanov was born in Kyiv on 4 January 1986. He graduated from the Odesa Institute of the Ground Forces in 2007.[3]

Career

Following his 2007 graduation, Budanov started a military career in the special forces of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.[3]

Russo-Ukrainian War

Budanov in Bakhmut on 28 December 2022

In 2014, he took part in the war in Donbas, where he was wounded several times[3] and reportedly participated in a number of classified special military operations.[4] According to a 2024 report by The New York Times, Budanov was one of the members of the elite Unit 2245 of the Ukrainian Main Intelligence Directorate trained by CIA. The New York Times reports that Budanov gained a reputation for participating in bold operations behind enemy lines. In 2016, while still a lieutenant colonel, he reportedly led a special forces unit in an amphibious raid on Russian-occupied Crimea to plant explosives at an airfield. Budanov's unit was ambushed by a Russian commando unit after landing; the Ukrainian force killed several Russian soldiers before retreating to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to The New York Times, Budanov was brought to the United States for treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being wounded in fighting in the Donbas.[5]

On 4 April 2019, Budanov's Chevrolet Evanda car was blown up by a Russian with documents in the name of "Alexei Lomaka", who planted a mine, but it detonated prematurely. The attacker and the sabotage group that were supposed to blow up Budanov were detained.[6][7]

In 2020, he became deputy director of one of the departments of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

Budanov shaking hands with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy on 7 September, 2022

On 5 August 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Budanov as head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.[1]

On 11 March 2022 he became the chairman of the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.[8] In September 2022, Budanov was involved in the largest prisoner exchange operation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, when 215 Ukrainian defenders returned home, including more than 100 fighters and commanders of the Azov Regiment.[3]

In February 2023, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary bloc, Davyd Arakhamia, stated that Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced by Budanov as defence minister. However, the replacement did not take place, and Budanov was not appointed.[9][4] Rustem Umerov would eventually replace Reznikov.

On 21 April 2023, the Lefortovo District court in Moscow, Russia issued an arrest warrant against Budanov in relation to the 2022 Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge.[10] Budanov commented on the warrant, stating, "I am pleased. This is a good indicator of our work, and I promise to work even better."[11]

A spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence said in 2023 that there had been more than ten assassination attempts on Budanov. In November 2023 his wife, Marianna Budanova, was poisoned with unspecified heavy metals, probably from poisoned food, and several agency employees had mild symptoms of poisoning.[12]

In 2024, Budanov was recognized as a Hero of Ukraine by President Zelenskyy.[13]

Military ranks

Awards

References

  1. ^ a b "Указ Президента України №308/2020: Про призначення К.Буданова начальником Головного управління розвідки Міністерства оборони України" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 308/2020: On the appointment of K. Budanov as the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of DefenCe of Ukraine]. President.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b "Указ Президента України №564/2023: Про присвоєння військового звання" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 564/2023: On the assignment of a military rank]. President.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 7 September 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d "Взвод № 1. НВ називає 25 найвпливовіших українських військових" [Platoon No. 1. NV names the 25 most influential Ukrainian military personnel]. New Voice (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "Factbox: Who is Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's potential next defence minister?". Reuters. 6 February 2023. Archived from the original on 6 February 2023.
  5. ^ Entous, Adam; Schwirtz, Michael (25 February 2024). "The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 26 February 2024. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Воєнна розвідка України отримала нового очільника" [Ukraine's military intelligence got a new head]. Defence Express (in Ukrainian). 6 August 2020. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Крим, Донбас, гібридні війни, дезінформація: новий начальник ГУР назвав завдання на посаді" [Crimea, Donbas, hybrid wars, disinformation: the new head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence named the tasks of the office]. Novynarnia (in Ukrainian). 10 August 2020. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  8. ^ "Кабінет Міністрів України постанова від 11 березня 2022 р. № 257: Про утворення Координаційного штабу з питань поводження з військовополоненими" [Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution of 11 March 2022 No. 257: On the formation of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War]. Кmu.gov.ua. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
  9. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (5 February 2023). "Ukraine's defence minister to be moved from post, says Zelenskiy ally". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 21 January 2024.
  10. ^ Morozov, Alexey (21 April 2021). "Moscow court issues arrest warrant for Ukraine's intel chief over FSB's accusations of him setting up Crimea bridge explosion". Novaya Gazeta Europe. Wikidata Q120722235. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023.
  11. ^ Kravets, Roman; Romanenko, Valentyna (21 April 2023). "Ukraine's Defence Intelligence Chief reacts to "arrest in absentia" in Russia: I am pleased". Ukrainska Pravda. Wikidata Q120722204. Archived from the original on 17 July 2023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ Lukiv, Jaroslav (28 November 2023). "Ukraine spy chief's wife poisoned, says Kyiv". BBC News. Archived from the original on 30 January 2024.
  13. ^ a b Martin Fornusek (9 February 2024). "Zelensky grants Hero of Ukraine award to Zaluzhnyi". The Kyiv Independent.
  14. ^ "Указ Президента України № 428/2021: Про присвоєння військового звання" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 428/2021: On the assignment of a military rank]. President.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 24 August 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  15. ^ "Указ Президента України №207/2022" [Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 207/2022]. President.gov.ua (in Ukrainian). 3 April 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
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