Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), emerges from the shadows, demonstrating an unusually public presence for a spy chief amidst the ongoing war with Russia. He’s leveraging this visibility to communicate his messages and pose a challenge to Russia.
  

Key Points: 

1. Budanov argues that contemporary warfare necessitates spy chiefs to maintain a public presence, a shift from traditional expectations of clandestine operations.
2. Since Moscow annexed Crimea in 2014, Budanov states Ukraine has revamped its information warfare strategy, and he believes Russia is currently losing the information battle.
3. Budanov claims to have reliable intelligence sources close to Russian President Putin, giving Ukraine insights into Russia’s plans and actions.
4. A hate figure in Russian media, Budanov’s popularity has surged in Ukraine, where he’s seen as a mastermind orchestrating effective retaliation against Russia.
5. In response to a question about his agency’s comparison to Israel’s Mossad, Budanov affirms that his agency has been and will continue eliminating enemies of the state.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-spymaster-comes-out-shadows-2023-07-14/