In recent months, there has been much talk about the reanimation of domestic politics in Ukraine and the burgeoning political competition between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and ex-commander-in-chief Valery Zaluzhny. Now Kyrylo Budanov, head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, has also emerged as a figure enjoying significant popular support, with some surveys showing his public trust rating to be higher than Zelensky’s. War has traditionally provided military commanders with a political platform, but since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Budanov has achieved something akin to celebrity status. At thirty-nine years old, he is part of a new generation of Ukrainian security officials unencumbered by the baggage of the Soviet past.
Could Ukraine’s Popular Spymaster Become a Political Rival for Zelensky? (Konstantin Skorkin – Carnegie Russia Eurasia)
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