Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, claimed to know who was behind the poisoning of his wife and promised "retaliatory actions on Russian territory" (Photo: Ukraine's Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War/Facebook).
Asked if he knew who was responsible for the poisoning, Mr Budanov replied "Of course I do", according to French newspaper Liberation .
"My wife feels better," said Mr. Budanov.
"Since I was not poisoned, it is difficult to say whether this was aimed at me or not. But I have survived many assassination attempts and will probably survive many more. I think that in the near future you will see retaliation on Russian territory and people will understand this," he added.
In late 2023, Ukraine's military intelligence agency said that Mr. Budanov's wife, Marianna Budanova, was hospitalized due to heavy metal poisoning.
The poison found in Budanova's body was not of the type commonly used in everyday life or military work. Its presence suggests a deliberate act, according to Ukrainian intelligence.
Moscow has repeatedly denied being behind the incident.
"Ukraine tries to blame Russia for all its problems. As I see it, Russia is blamed even for Ukraine's existence. So these are simply baseless accusations," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in November 2023.
Budanov fought in the Donbas conflict in 2014 and was reportedly injured during that time. He quickly became deputy head of Ukraine's foreign intelligence service in 2020, and was later appointed head of military intelligence by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The intelligence general is believed to have been the target of at least 10 assassination attempts, including a car bomb that caused serious injuries.
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