Kyrylo Budanov holds a significant position in Ukraine as the leader of the nation’s military intelligence agency, the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR). He frequently faces threats of assassination, and it seems that his spouse was also a recent target of such plots.
On November 28, an official from the GUR disclosed that Marianna Budanova was receiving medical care due to heavy metal poisoning. Experiencing prolonged illness, she sought help at the hospital, where medical examinations confirmed the presence of poisoning after thorough testing.
According to an anonymous source speaking to the BBC, the metals found in her system had no common use in everyday life or military activities. Following a course of treatment, she is said to be in improved health.
The prevailing hypothesis suggests that Mrs. Budanova consumed food tainted with poison. There is no indication that her husband was the intended target. Reports have suggested that several other individuals within the GUR experienced mild symptoms of poisoning as well.
Lt. Gen. Budanov has managed to evade more than 10 assassination attempts since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. He is not the sole official facing such threats, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has claimed to have survived at least five attempts on his life recently.
In an interview with NBC News, Zelenskyy remarked that the initial attempt on his life was notably intriguing, but subsequent incidents were comparatively less frightening.
In Russia, a significant number of the nation’s high-ranking military figures have lost their lives in the ongoing conflict. Darya Dugina, the daughter of Aleksandr Dugin, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, fell victim to a car bomb several months into the war. Additionally, in May, Russia asserted that it thwarted a drone attack on the Kremlin purportedly planned by Ukraine.
The government alleged that Ukraine was attempting to execute an assassination plot against Putin. Zelenskyy refuted the accusations, asserting that his country did not launch an attack on the Russian leader. The estimated casualties of the war indicate nearly 500,000 for Ukraine and approximately 300,000 for Russia.
