Marianna Budanova is the wife of Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian military secret, known by the local acronym GUR, and her poisoning was confirmed to the Associated Press by agency spokesman Andrii Yusov.
Yusov said Kiev suspects Russia orchestrated this poisoning. “(The) investigation will show this, but this is the main hypothesis,” a spokesman for Ukraine’s military intelligence told AFP when asked if Russia could be involved.
Early this year, the spokesperson told the Ukrainian press that Budanov had survived ten assassination attempts by the FSB, Russia’s state security service, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
Earlier, Budanov had told the local press that his wife lives with him in his office, which could indicate that he was the target of the poisoning, but there was also speculation from Russian commentators, who pointed out that the secret leader was a victim. of the internal struggle in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian press reported, based on sources in the GUR, that Budanova is currently hospitalized in Kiev.
The exact nature of the heavy metals that caused the poisoning has not been disclosed. However, local media stated that the metals were not used domestically or in military equipment, so GUR representatives assume the poisoning was carried out deliberately, possibly through food or drink.
In addition to Budanova, several GUR employees were also diagnosed with the same poisoning.
An official statement with more details will be released by GUR.
Source: DN
