Ukraine’s spy chief laughs off death rumors as ‘alcoholic logic’

Kyrylo Budanov (Photo:NV)
The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, Kyrylo Budanov, has mocked rumors of his death spread by Russian propagandists, according to a video shared by public broadcaster Suspilne on July 1.
When asked by a journalist of the TV channel how he survived his "death," he replied with a smirk: "It was fine."
"Well, what’s the logic in there?" Budanov said, trying to explain why this fake was pushed in Russia.
"There is no logic in the actions of an alcoholic, as the saying goes. And here are drug addicts too – so, no comment."
He quoted a line of the lyrics of the song "Alcoholism" by the Ukrainian band TIK, which reads: "There is no logic in the actions of an alcoholic, vodka and beer quietly work their magic."
In an interview with journalist Valeriy Kalnysh, a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, Andriy Yusov, said that Kyrylo Budanov was laughing at the Russian propaganda fake news about his "death."
Russia’s propaganda machine pedalled a fake that a missile allegedly hit the military intelligence building on May 29, where the head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, was "seriously injured."
The Russians also falsely reported that he was "taken by helicopter to a military base in Rzeszow, Poland, where an American evacuation plane specially flew to pick him up and take him to Germany."
This has already been denied by both intelligence and foreign media. In addition, on the day of the "missile strike on the HUR," the Ukrainian intelligence published a video in which its chief emphasized another unsuccessful attempt at terrorist actions by the Russian Federation and promised an adequate response.
Earlier, Kremlin propagandists unsuccessfully tried to spread fakes about the "death" of the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi and other military generals. They were duly debunked, including by the commander himself.
Will you support Ukraine’s free press?
Dear reader, as all news organizations, we must balance the pressures of delivering timely, accurate, and relevant stories with requirements to fund our business operations.
As a Ukrainian-based media, we also have another responsibility – to amplify Ukraine’s voice to the world during the crucial moment of its existence as a political nation.
It’s the support of our readers that lets us continue doing our job. We keep our essential reporting free because we believe in our ultimate purpose: an independent, democratic Ukraine.
If you’re willing to support Ukraine, consider subscribing to our Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Please help us continue fighting Russian propaganda.
Truth can be hard to tell from fiction these days. Every viewpoint has its audience of backers and supporters, no matter how absurd.
If conscious disinformation is reinforced by state propaganda apparatus and budget, its outcomes may become deadly.
There is no solution to this, other than independent, honest, and accurate reporting.
We remain committed to empowering the Ukrainian voice to push against the muck. If you’re willing to stand up for the truth – consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. Thank you very much.
Will you help tell Ukraine’s story to the world?
Twenty years ago, most people hadn’t even heard of Ukraine. Today, the country is on everyone’s lips and everyone’s headlines. War pushed us on the front page. But there are many other things we do that we are proud of – from music and culture to technology.
We need your help to tell the world Ukrainian story of resilience, joy, and survival. If you’re willing to back our effort, consider supporting us on Patreon starting from 5$ per month. We are immensely grateful.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
