Bellingcat investigates poisoning of Ukrainian intelligence chief's wife

Bellingcat investigator Christo Grozev told Radio Liberty.

According to him, the team will conduct the investigation together with The Insider, an online publication registered in Latvia that specializes in investigative journalism, exposing fake news and fact-checking. It was founded by Russian journalist Roman Dobrokhotov.

"TheIns team and I are actually conducting our investigation, but there is no formal communication with the Main Intelligence Directorate yet," Grozev said.

Meanwhile, intelligence sources told NV that the Main Intelligence Directorate is conducting an internal investigation into the poisoning of Marianna Budanova. The priority version is an attempted murder. At the same time, the source did not answer whether the intelligence service considers the poisoning of Budanov's wife to be an attempt on the life of the intelligence head himself.

In May, the Main Intelligence Directorate said that Budanov had been assassinated more than 10 times.

The source noted that the Main Intelligence Directorate has established security protocols and algorithms "seriously enough and in accordance with the requirements of the time." According to the intelligence official, certain additional measures may be taken after the investigation.

• On November 28, the media reported that Kyrylo Budanov’s wife was poisoned. The intelligence representative, Andriy Yusov, confirmed that she was in hospital, but that her life was not in danger. According to media reports, Marianna Budanova could have been poisoned with mercury and arsenic.