The head of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) has dismissed fresh rumours of his imminent firing, describing them on Nov. 29 as "rumors and disinformation" spread by Russian propaganda.
Earlier in the week, New Voice of Ukraine reported that the Ukrainian President's Office wanted to replace Kyrylo Budanov with a "a person more loyal to the authorities."
"Unfortunately, at a certain point, these narratives were spread in the Ukrainian information space, many of them were replicated by Russian propaganda," Budanov told BBC Ukraine.
"But there is nothing surprising in this. Throwing out rumors and disinformation is what they do to destabilize the country, and to destabilize the team," he added.
Budanov insisted he had "normal working relations" with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.
It's not the first time in recent months that rumors of Budanov's imminent dismissal have circulated.
Zelensky on Oct. 21 denied similar rumors. "I wasn't going to do that. I was not going to replace Budanov. This information was circulating, yes. There was no such question about (Defense Minister Rustem) Umerov either," Zelensky said during a meeting with journalists.
Zelensky's statement followed media speculation that Budanov was in line for dismissal. Budanov, 38, has been the head of Ukraine's military intelligence since August 2020.
In late September, Umerov dismissed two of Budanov's deputies, Viktor Zaitsev and Ihor Ostapenko. The decision was not made in cooperation with Budanov, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing an undisclosed source.
Chris York
(Updated: )
