The wife of the head of the Ukrainian Military Intelligence (GUR) Kirilo Budanov has recovered satisfactorily after suffering a heavy metal poisoning, as indicated by the representative of the agency Andri Yusov on Ukrainian television. “The health condition of Mariana Budanova, wife of the head of the GUR, is now satisfactory,” Yusov said, quoted by the Ukrinform news agency.

The representative of Military Intelligence has explained that Budanova has received treatment in a Ukrainian clinic. “Thanks to his own reaction and the professionalism of the Ukrainian doctors, everything went well,” she stressed.

Ukrainian Military Intelligence sources revealed on November 28 that Budanov’s wife had been poisoned with heavy metals, a method used on several occasions against dissidents and other uncomfortable figures by Russia’s secret services. Shortly after, the GUR officially confirmed the information, which is being investigated by Kyiv’s own military intelligence. According to Ukrainian media, Budanova was poisoned with arsenic and mercury.

Budanov has been the target of more than a dozen assassination attempts, according to Ukrainian media, one of them a missile attack on the GUR headquarters. In December last year, Ukrainian authorities revealed that they had thwarted an attempt by Russian special services to end the lives of Budanov and the then Minister of Defense, Alexei Reznikov, while in spring 2022 he was close to being hit by fire. Russian during a visit to troops in the Luhansk region.