Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Lt. General Kirill Budanov’s wife was poisoned with heavy metals. This news was reported by several Ukrainian media citing unnamed intelligence sources on Tuesday.
According to the news, Mariana Budanov was taken to the hospital after feeling sick for a long time. Two other Ukrainian media outlets later published the same information, citing their own sources.
Ukrainian military intelligence has not publicly commented on the report. The report did not say whether Russia was involved in the incident.
Ukraine’s Ukrainska Pravda news website reported that several other intelligence officers were also poisoned. However, there was no information that General Budanov could also be targeted.
Kirill Budanov heads the Main Directorate of Intelligence (DIU) of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. He played a key role in planning and sometimes executing major military operations against Russian forces.
News website Babel first reported the alleged poisoning on Tuesday, citing a source in the Ukrainian intelligence service. It is said that Mariana is now undergoing treatment and is under the observation of doctors.
The official, who did not wish to be named, said the substance Mariana was poisoned with was not used in everyday life or in military operations. However, the official did not give further details.
The Ukrainska Pravda news website later cited its own sources as saying that Ms Budanov’s poisoning had been confirmed following tests.
The website added that he was probably given poisoned food, but is now recovering. Lt. Gen. Budanov, 37, said last September that he and his wife had remained in the office since the February attack for security reasons.
Senior DIU official Andriy Yusov told Ukrainska Pravda earlier this year that more than 10 assassination attempts had been made against General Budanov.
