Kyrylo Budanov

Budanov was born in Kiev on 4 January 1986. He graduated from the Odesa Institute of the Ground Forces in 2007.

Following his 2007 graduation, Budanov started a military career in the special forces of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine.{{Cite web |title=Взвод № 1. НВ називає 25 найвпливовіших українських військових |trans-title=Platoon No. 1. NV names the 25 most influential Ukrainian military personnel |url=https://nv.ua/ukr/ukraine/events/generali-peremogi-nv-nazivaye-25-nayvplivovishih-ukrajinskih-viyskovih-50276584.html |access-date=2023-01-17 |website=New Voice |language=uk}}

File:Kyrylo budanov in bakhmut 8.jpg on 28 December 2022]]

In 2014, he took part in the war in Donbas, where he was wounded several times and reportedly participated in a number of classified special military operations. 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. In 2016, while still a lieutenant colonel, he reportedly led a special forces unit in an amphibious raid on Russian-occupied Crimea to plant explosives at an airfield. Budanov's unit was ambushed by a Russian commando unit after landing; the Ukrainian force killed several Russian soldiers before retreating to Ukrainian-controlled territory. According to The New York Times, Budanov was brought to the United States for treatment at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center after being wounded in fighting in the Donbas.{{Cite web |last1=Entous |first1=Adam |last2=Schwirtz |first2=Michael |date=25 February 2024 |title=The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/europe/the-spy-war-how-the-cia-secretly-helps-ukraine-fight-putin.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240226085845/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/world/europe/cia-ukraine-intelligence-russia-war.html |archive-date=26 February 2024 |access-date=26 February 2024 |website=The New York Times}}

On 4 April 2019, Budanov's Chevrolet Evanda car was blown up by a Russian with documents in the name of "Alexei Lomaka", who planted a mine, but it detonated prematurely. The attacker and the sabotage group that were supposed to blow up Budanov were detained.{{Cite web |date=6 August 2020 |title=Воєнна розвідка України отримала нового очільника |trans-title=Ukraine's military intelligence got a new head |url=https://defence-ua.com/news/vojenna_rozvidki_ukrajini_otrimala_novogo_ochilnika-1359.html |access-date=2024-02-26 |website=Defence Express |language=uk}}{{Cite web |date=2020-08-10 |title=Крим, Донбас, гібридні війни, дезінформація: новий начальник ГУР назвав завдання на посаді |trans-title=Crimea, Donbas, hybrid wars, disinformation: the new head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence named the tasks of the office |url=https://novynarnia.com/2020/08/10/novyj-nachalnyk-gur-nazvav/ |accessdate=2020-08-11 |website=Novynarnia |language=uk}}

In 2020, he became deputy director of one of the departments of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine.

File:Участь Президента у заходах з нагоди 30-ї річниці воєнної розвідки України 03.jpg on 7 September, 2022]]

On 5 August 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy appointed Budanov as head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.

On 11 March 2022 he became the chairman of the Coordinating Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.{{Cite web |title=Кабінет Міністрів України постанова від 11 березня 2022 р. № 257: Про утворення Координаційного штабу з питань поводження з військовополоненими |trans-title=Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine resolution of 11 March 2022 No. 257: On the formation of the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War |url=https://www.kmu.gov.ua/npas/pro-utvorennya-koordinacijnogo-shtabu-z-pitan-povodzhennya-z-vijskovopolonenimi-257 |access-date=2023-02-05 |website=Кmu.gov.ua |language=en}} In September 2022, Budanov was involved in the largest prisoner exchange operation between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, when 215 Ukrainian defenders returned home, including more than 100 fighters and commanders of the Azov Regiment.

In February 2023, the head of the Servant of the People parliamentary bloc, Davyd Arakhamia, stated that Oleksii Reznikov would be replaced by Budanov as defence minister. However, the replacement did not take place, and Budanov was not appointed.{{cite web |last=Sabbagh |first=Dan |date=5 February 2023 |title=Ukraine's defence minister to be moved from post, says Zelenskiy ally |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/05/talk-of-resignation-and-retreat-swirls-in-ukraine-as-bakhmut-enters-endgame |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121024047/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/05/talk-of-resignation-and-retreat-swirls-in-ukraine-as-bakhmut-enters-endgame |archive-date=2024-01-21 |website=The Guardian}}{{cite web |date=6 February 2023 |title=Factbox: Who is Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's potential next defence minister? |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/who-is-kyrylo-budanov-ukraines-potential-next-defence-minister-2023-02-06/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206223812/https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/who-is-kyrylo-budanov-ukraines-potential-next-defence-minister-2023-02-06/ |archive-date=2023-02-06 |website=Reuters}} Rustem Umerov would eventually replace Reznikov.

On 21 April 2023, the Lefortovo District court in Moscow, Russia issued an arrest warrant against Budanov in relation to the 2022 Ukrainian attack on the Crimean Bridge.{{cite Q|Q120722235|author=Morozov, Alexey|url-status=live|journal=Novaya Gazeta Europe}} Budanov commented on the warrant, stating, "I am pleased. This is a good indicator of our work, and I promise to work even better."{{cite Q|Q120722204|author=Kravets, Roman; Romanenko, Valentyna|url-status=live}}

A spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence said in 2023 that there had been more than ten assassination attempts on Budanov. In November 2023 his wife, Marianna Budanova, was poisoned with unspecified heavy metals, probably from poisoned food, and several agency employees had mild symptoms of poisoning.{{cite news |last=Lukiv |first=Jaroslav |date=28 November 2023 |title=Ukraine spy chief's wife poisoned, says Kyiv |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67552036 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240130024042/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67552036 |archive-date=2024-01-30 |publisher=BBC News}}

On 8 February 2024, Budanov was recognized as a Hero of Ukraine by President Zelenskyy.{{cite news |author=Martin Fornusek |date=9 February 2024 |title=Zelensky grants Hero of Ukraine award to Zaluzhnyi |url=https://kyivindependent.com/zelensky-grants-hero-of-ukraine-award-to-zaluzhnyi/ |work=The Kyiv Independent |publisher=}}

• Brigadier general (24 August 2021){{Cite web |date=2021-08-24 |title=Указ Президента України № 428/2021: Про присвоєння військового звання |trans-title=Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 428/2021: On the assignment of a military rank |url=https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/4282021-39973 |accessdate=2023-02-06 |website=President.gov.ua |language=uk}}
• Major general (3 April 2022){{Cite web|url=https://www.president.gov.ua/documents/2072022-42005|title=Указ Президента України №207/2022|trans-title=Decree of the President of Ukraine No. 207/2022|website=President.gov.ua|language=uk|date=2022-04-03|accessdate=Feb 6, 2023}}
• Lieutenant general (7 September 2023)

• Full Knight of the Order for Courage
• Hero of Ukraine

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Category:1986 births

Category:Living people

Category:Military personnel from Kyiv

Category:Recipients of the Order of Gold Star (Ukraine)

Category:Lieutenant generals of Ukraine

Category:Ukrainian military personnel of the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Category:Odesa Military Academy alumni

Category:Chevaliers of the Order For Courage

Category:Recipients of the Cross of Military Merit (Ukraine)