Death, threats and proximity to nationalists: spy boss Budanov becomes a problem for Ukraine

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Kyrylo Budanov (37) is Ukraine’s youngest spy chief and plays an important – and increasingly problematic – role in the war in Ukraine. He recently admitted that the Kiev secret service had killed Russian propagandists. According to The Economist, he is responsible for a series of increasingly brutal operations in Russia. No wonder there were ‘at least ten’ attacks on him, the British magazine writes.

The last of these attacks took place on May 29, when Russia attacked the Ukrainian capital Kiev with missiles and drones. Budanov’s office in the Rybalskiy residential area was also attacked. As a result, some Russian propagandists declared him dead. About two weeks after his supposed death, on June 11, Budanov spoke out in a video. In it he responded – with questionable words – to the reports of his death.

In an exclusive interview with the Ukrainian newspaper «Kyiv Post», he explains: «Now a special unit of immortal commanders is being created in Ukraine – Valeriy Zalushnyi, me, Stepan Bandera, Symon Petlyura, Ivan Masepa,» he says and continues: « A team of immortals will invade the dreams of Russian citizens who wanted to take over Ukraine in the middle of the night, which would give them a nightmare.”

The statement cannot only be interpreted as a threat against Russia. His statement also contains inflammatory material: General Budanov aligned himself with some of the most controversial figures in Ukrainian history.

Bandera (1909-1959), for example, is a foretaste. He was considered a nationalist, a right-wing extremist who was linked to the murder of tens of thousands of people in collaboration with the German Nazis. Petlyura (1879-1926), another example, was the sole ruler of Ukraine from 1917 to 1920. He is said to have played a major role in anti-Semitic riots that historians say claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Spy chief Budanov becomes unpredictable

With these comparisons, whether intentional or not, Budanov risks fueling the Russian government’s “denazification” propaganda, which it uses in part to justify its invasion of Ukraine.

Not only that: Budanov is becoming increasingly unpredictable and extreme in his rhetoric and his actions. Leaked CIA documents have revealed that the US agency had to stop the Ukrainian spy boss from ordering an attack on Moscow on the anniversary of the Russian invasion. And the escalating attacks on Russian soil have raised concerns among Ukraine’s western allies about irritating the bear too much — and provoking a nuclear response.

Despite the controversy, Budanov is a star among Ukrainians. In February of this year, there were even rumors that President Volodymyr Zelensky (45) would appoint him as Defense Minister, replacing Oleksii Reznikov (57). And thanks to the stories of his death, he has become something of a hero. According to The Economist, Budanov could play a major political role in Ukraine after the end of the war.

Source: Blick