Major General of the Ukrainian secret service Kyrylo Budanov in September 2022. (Archive photo) © Sergei Supinsky/afp
After Kiev rejected the attacks on Russian propagandists, Ukrainian intelligence now admits several "known" incidents.
KYIV – Russia is now known in the West for its propaganda. Whether on social networks or on state-controlled television, presenters and activists everywhere preach pre-colored opinions about the Ukraine war, NATO and conspiracies against their own state. For the Kremlin, propaganda serves as a "weapon" used against its own population.
In the course of the war, there were repeated accidents in which Russian propagandists lost their lives. One of the best-known cases is the fatal attack on the daughter of an ideologue close to the Kremlin. Ukrainian military intelligence has now publicly claimed responsibility for numerous attacks.
Propaganda in the Ukraine war: "We have targeted people"
The head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, spoke of having "successfully targeted" several pro-Kremlin personalities. "There were well-publicized cases, which are known to everyone thanks to media coverage," the British daily The Timesquotes the Ukrainian general as saying. Budanov said that people outside Ukraine's borders were also in the crosshairs of the secret service.
Since no names were mentioned from Kiev, one can only speculate which attacks could be involved. These include the death of a Russian military blogger in an explosion at a café in St. Petersburg in early April. Or the detonation of a car bomb in which a writer loyal to Putin was seriously injured. Ukraine had previously denied involvement in the attacks. Experts speculated whether the attacks had been staged by the Russian secret service itself. This included an alleged drone attack on President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine war: Secret service wants to "eliminate Russian scum"
In an interview obtained by the Kyiv Post, Major General Budanov described Russian propagandists as "scum" that must be eliminated: "Scum will eventually be punished in every country in the world. Only elimination can be a well-deserved punishment for such acts." Anything else was out of the question for the Major General. "It's my personal opinion, and I'm going to put it into practice." It is only a matter of time before Russian propaganda is pierced like a "mature abscess," Kyiv Post quoted Budanov as saying.
Budanov repeatedly goes public during video interviews and spreads claims about the Russian attackers. These included, among other things, the statement that Russian leader Vladimir Putin was seriously ill with cancer, or reports about a Ukrainian information network behind Russia's borders. Budnaow gained credibility about a year before February 24, 2022, when the intelligence chief predicted a Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. (aa)