It is said that traces of arsenic and mercury were found in the body of Marianna Budanova, wife of military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov.
Much remains unclear in the alleged poisoning case of Marianna Budanova, wife of Kyrylo Budanov. Budanov is the head of the Ukrainian military intelligence agency GUR. As Ukrainian media first reported on Tuesday, Budanova was reportedly in hospital recovering. Her life is now out of danger. The time of the alleged poison attack, nor who is responsible, is unknown.
Budanova, 30, works as an advisor to Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko. According to a spokesperson, Ukrainian authorities believe Russia may be behind the poison attack. Budanova was chosen because the head of the GUR himself was unreachable.
Secret Service Agent as Media Personality
On Wednesday, former GUR head Valeriy Kondratiuk said Budanova was poisoned by heavy metals. Toxins entered the body through food intake. Traces of arsenic and mercury were found, he told Ukrainian media “New Voice”. According to Kondratiuk, not only Budanov’s wife was poisoned, but also other “high-ranking figures” in the espionage service responsible for operations against Russia. Her husband, who would have been murdered several times, was not hit this time.
Budanov, just 37 years old, has held a leading position in military intelligence since 2020. He became known to a wider audience through his bold statements. Last year, he declared that Ukraine would militarily liberate Crimea by late spring 2023. Budanov has recently been criticized for these overly optimistic announcements. For the Kremlin, he is considered the mastermind of numerous sabotage operations aimed at weakening Russia. Budanov also spoke publicly several times about the spectacular actions of his officials in Russia or Russian-occupied territory. One of the most recent actions includes the amphibious landing on the Crimean peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia.
Andrei Lugovoj speaks from experience
Russian state propaganda has already responded to Ukraine’s allegations. A TV program presented the absurd opinion that Kyrylo Budanov himself tried to kill his wife. Andrei Lugovoj, responsible for the murder of former Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, was also interviewed as an “expert”. (that)