Members of Putin’s inner circle are now spying for Ukraine, with more willing to turn as the situation in Russia worsens, Kyiv intelligence chief claims – as Zelensky insists his nation will ‘prevail’
- Kirill Budanov says Putin’s closest are now defecting to the Ukrainian side
- Zelensky affirms confidence in Ukraine winning the war on eve of one-year mark
The head of Ukraine’s Central Intelligence Directorate has claimed members of Putin’s inner circles are now working as spies for Ukraine as support for the Russian war effort slumps.
In an interview with online newspaper Ukrainian Pravda, Kirill Budanov said those closest to Putin had now turned their back on the Russian President to cooperate with Ukraine.
As the war approaches its one year anniversary, Ukraine’s backers have pledged their undivided support for the nation which Russia invaded on 24 February 2022.
Following word that Ukraine would receive tanks from a coalition of countries, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today expressed confidence that Ukraine would ‘prevail’ over the attacking forces.
‘We have not broken down, we have overcome many ordeals and we will prevail. We will hold to account all those who brought this evil, this war to our land,’ Zelensky said on social media.
Kirill Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence, pictured in September 2022
Servicemen fire artillery at Ukrainian troops from their position in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine
Budanov did not give the names or number of agents he says have defected to support Ukraine.
He claims that some of these people were looking to secure their futures, anticipating Putin’s defeat.
READ MORE: 365 days of Putin’s bloodshed: As the anniversary of the Ukraine invasion nears, a comprehensive look at how the war unfolded, how close we are to WW3 and all the key aspects of the conflict
‘Since the situation in the Russian Federation is actually getting worse every day, it’s getting easier every day to find people willing to cooperate,’ he said.
Despite the threat of a major new Russian offensive in the spring, Ukrainian morale remains high.
In the capital Kyiv, which saw Russian troops at its doorstep at the start of the invasion last February and relentless attacks on energy infrastructure since, residents remain defiant.
‘This has been the most difficult year of my life and that of all Ukrainians,’ said Diana Shestakova, 23, who works for a publishing house and whose boyfriend has spent the last year away in the army.
‘I am sure that we will be victorious, but we don’t know how long we will have to wait and how many victims there are still to come.’
In the western city of Lviv, a Swiss artist projected images in honour of Ukraine on public buildings on Wednesday night, covering them in blue and yellow peace doves and Ukrainian tridents.
Budanov warned, however, that Russia would be planning a missile attack tomorrow to mark the anniversary of the war.
‘February 23-24, they have two dates,’ he said in an interview to newspaper Ukrainskaya Pravda, adding: ‘Believe me, we have survived this more than 20 times already.’
The year-long conflict has devastated swathes of Ukraine, turned Russia into a pariah in the West and according to Western sources, has caused 150,000 casualties on each side.
A senior US official has said that the United States and its G7 allies planned to unveil ‘a big new package of sanctions’ around the anniversary, including measures to crack down on the evasion of existing sanctions.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told the G7 meeting that the unprecedented Western sanctions imposed on Moscow over the last 12 months ‘had a very significant negative effect on Russia so far.’
The latest Western leader to visit the Ukrainian capital, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, tweeted that Madrid would ‘stand with Ukraine and its people until peace returns to Europe’ after arriving in Kyiv by train and before meeting President Zelensky.
Budanov warned that Russia would be planning missile strikes to mark the war’s anniversary
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attends a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, 23 February 2023
In New York, the UN General Assembly was on Thursday to bring to a vote a motion backed by Kyiv and its allies calling for a ‘just and lasting peace’.
‘Never in recent history has the line between good and evil been so clear. One country merely wants to live. The other wants to kill and destroy,’ Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told the world body on Wednesday.
The Kremlin’s UN ambassador accused the West of being ‘ready to plunge the entire world into the abyss of war’ to defeat Russia.
And Russian leader Vladimir Putin vowed to strengthen his country’s defence capabilities as he laid flowers at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow before meeting soldiers in Red Square under blue skies and brisk temperatures.
Russia will equip troops with ‘new strike systems, reconnaissance and communication equipment, drones and artillery systems,’ he said, hailing Russian soldiers fighting ‘heroically’ in Ukraine and defending ‘our historical lands’.
Russia’s ‘unbreakable unity is the key to our victory,’ he said.
While US President Joe Biden paid a hugely symbolic trip to Kyiv to show support this week, strengthened Russo-Chinese ties were on display in Moscow as Putin met Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi.
Their meeting, during which Beijing presented its views toward a ‘political settlement’ in Ukraine, came after Washington and NATO voiced concern that China could be preparing to supply Russia with weapons.
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