The wife of Ukraine’s military intelligence chief is recovering after an attempt to assassinate her, according to reports Tuesday.
The incident
Marianna Budanova, 30, was ‘poisoned with heavy metals’ and is hospitalised.
This followed a ‘prolonged deterioration of her health’, reported Babel news outlet, citing intelligence sources.
Who is Marianna Budanova?
Budanova is the wife of Ukraine’s highly respected Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov, 37, who has led operations to attack Russia with missiles and both aerial and sea drones during the 22-month conflict.
Such attacks have been devastatingly effective.
‘The course of treatment is now being completed, and then there will be a check-up by the doctors,’ said an intelligence source on Budanova’s recovery.
The exact nature of the poisoning – for which Russia is suspected – was not identified, and it later emerged that other military intelligence staff were poisoned and are now undergoing tests.
Kyrylo Budanov updates
Ukrainian sources revealed later that spymaster Lt-Gen Kyrylo Budanov had not been found to have been poisoned.
The attack was most likely by food laced with poison, it was stated.
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‘These substances are not used in any way in everyday life or military affairs. Their presence may indicate a purposeful attempt to poison a specific person.’
Sources confirmed that attempts were also made on Kyrylo Budanov before and after the full-scale invasion.
Respected by Western intelligence agencies, he has been identified as one of Russia’s priority targets in the conflict.
An investigation is being conducted into ‘the alleged attempt to kill the wife of the head of the [Ukrainian military intelligence agency’.
Ukrainska Pravda quoted an unnamed source saying: ‘It is true about Budanov’s wife [being poisoning].
She complained about not feeling well, so she took some tests, which revealed poisoning.’ The poisoning ‘was most likely poisoned by food’.
