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.
‘Better that Ukrainians don’t know the truth’ – Kiev’s spy chief
Many Ukrainians cannot handle the “harsh reality” of the conflict with Russia and should be kept in the dark about the details, Kiev’s military intelligence chief has said.
Three-star
general Kirill Budanov expressed his views on information censorship
during wartime in a conversation with journalist Anna Maksimchuk on
Saturday, suggesting that much of the truth of the conflict should only
become public knowledge to Ukrainians in the future.
”During wartime, knowing the whole truth is not necessary. Otherwise, people may develop opinions,” Budanov said. “Some minds are not prepared to grasp the harsh reality. Let’s not put them to the test. Everything should be dosed.”
Since
2020, Budanov has led the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the
Ukrainian Defense Ministry (HUR) – an agency reportedly rebuilt from
scratch by the CIA following the 2014 armed coup in Kiev to serve as a
tool against Russia.
- Prior to the escalation of hostilities with Russia in 2022, Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky cracked down on critical media, claiming to do so in order to fight against local oligarchs under Moscow’s influence.
- During the conflict, Kiev launched a news marathon with programming said to be directly controlled by the president’s office – which critics have called state propaganda. Additionally, under martial law, Zelensky banned several opposition parties, claiming they posed a national security threat.
Earlier this year, turmoil swept through Ukraine’s media landscape following US President Donald Trump’s decision to dismantle the US Agency for International Development (USAID), an organization used by Washington to promote its political agenda through foreign grants.
Researcher Oksana Romanyuk estimated in January that nearly 90% of Ukrainian outlets relied on foreign aid, with 80% specifically receiving funding from USAID.
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