Shahed drones could enable North Korea to strike targets across South Korea, potentially overwhelming air defenses, and could also assist Russia in its war against Ukraine.
Budanov's statement comes just a day after Russia claimed that a prisoner swap had failed due to Ukraine's fault — an accusation Kyiv denied.
A major prisoner swap between Ukraine and Russia involving around 1,000 POWs from each side is expected to take place next week, Ukraine's military intelligence chief said on air on May 17, following an agreement reached in Istanbul.
The operation marks the first time in history that fighter jets have been downed by unmanned boats. Initially, reports confirmed the destruction of only one jet, but Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) chief, Kyrylo Budanov, later clarified that two aircraft were hit.
Key developments on Feb. 27: * Trump says he 'can't believe' he called Zelensky 'dictator' * First contacts with Trump administration 'inspire certain hopes,' Putin says * Russia to lose 'chance for world leadership' if it doesn't get out of war by 2026, Budanov says * Turkey considers sending peacekeepers to Ukraine, Bloomberg
"According to their (Russia's) strategy, if they don't get out of this war by 2026, they lose even a chance for world leadership. They will be left with a maximum level of regional leadership, which they are absolutely not satisfied with," Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) head Kyrylo Budanov said.
Key developments on Feb. 20: * Zelensky-Kellogg meeting ends with no joint statements at US request, spokesperson says * Starmer to pitch plan on 30,000 European peacekeepers in Ukraine to Trump, Telegraph reports * US refuses to co-sponsor UN resolution condemning Russia, resists labeling Moscow 'aggressor' in G7 statement, media report * Russia
"How long it will be, how effective it will be, is another question. But I think it will happen," Ukrainian military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov said.
This Sunday, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur gives updates on Ukraine-Russia peace talks, U.S. President Donald Trump’s ongoing aid freeze, and the debate surrounding a deadly strike on civilian infrastructure in Russia’s Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov denied reports that North Korean soldiers have not been seen on the front line for weeks.
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has launched a criminal investigation following media reports alleging that Ukraine’s spy chief made a statement about a threat to the country’s existence during a closed-door parliamentary meeting, Ukrainska Pravda reported on Jan. 31, citing the SBU.
Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) denied on Jan. 27 that its head, Kyrylo Budanov, gave an assessment that predicted "serious consequences" for the existence of Ukraine unless negotiations began by the summer.
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) on Dec. 27 said the aircraft had been hit by “a Russian Pantsir S1 air defense system on Russian terrain.”
Kyrylo Budanov insisted he had "normal working relations" with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.
Russia's support in nuclear capabilities includes providing technologies for smaller tactical nuclear weapons and submarine missile-launch systems, military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed.
"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 Umerov either," Zelensky said during a meeting with journalists.
Key developments on Oct. 18: * Budanov says close to 11,000 North Korean troops in Russia, will be 'ready to fight' in Ukraine by Nov. 1 * Ukraine liberates Kharkiv Oblast village key for defense of Kupiansk, military intelligence says * Biden says West 'cannot let up' support for Ukraine ahead of
Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communication and Information Security published a video that purportedly shows North Korean soldiers in a Russian military camp preparing to join Moscow's war effort against Ukraine.
Ukraine's military intelligence head Kyrylo Budanov said the first group of 2,600 soldiers will be deployed to Russia's Kursk Oblast, where Ukraine began a cross-border incision in August and still holds significant swathes of territory.
"I have always advocated freedom of speech, but the issue of Telegram is not a matter of freedom of speech, it is a matter of national security," Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said.
Ukraine's strikes deep into Russian territory have "broken" the faith Russian people hold that their country is powerful and safe, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said on Sept. 14.
Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, delivered multiple statements during the 20th annual Yalta European Strategy (YES) meeting in Kyiv.
The Telegram messenger app is "harmful" and a "threat to our national security," Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said in an interview published on Sept. 7.
The attack, which occurred overnight on Aug. 20-21, was captured widely on social media. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that the drones were allegedly downed in Moscow Oblast as they were heading towards the capital.
"From a military perspective, it is much easier to retake Crimea than Donbas, which has a front longer than 1,000 kilometers and deeper than 200 kilometers," Kyrylo Budanov said during a speech at the Kyiv School of Economics.
"The practice of a 10-year war shows that the offensive potential of any side does not last more than two months. The Russian offensive operations are approaching three months, so there will be some decline," Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) chief Kyrylo Budanov said.
Ukraine and Russia will not be able to completely destroy each other's energy systems, as both have an extensive Soviet energy system, Ukrainian intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov told the TSN news program.
The bridge was heavily damaged by Ukrainian strikes in October 2022 and July 2023, prompting Russia to take steps to further defend the structure.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief was a "little misunderstood" when it was reported last week that he believed Russia would soon once again attack from the north, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on July 15.
Military intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov refused to specify if he was talking about an offensive in the oblasts of Sumy or Chernihiv so as not to "provoke panic" but insisted indications were already present that a new attack was imminent.
Ukraine's Military Intelligence Chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer published June 23 that peace talks are pointless because the only option is to reclaim occupied territory.
The 5th Service is in charge of the FSB's relations with foreign partners and gathering intelligence in former Soviet countries, including Ukraine. The intelligence provided by the 5th Service turned out to be inaccurate in many ways when the all-out war started, Important Stories said.
(Updated: )
