Poisoning of Ukraine spy chief's wife signals Russia's ability to reach anyone's family - military observer Kovalenko

He expressed this opinion on the Espreso TV channel.

"Why Budanov's wife was the target - there is an important point here: the disabling of the leadership of Ukraine's Defence Intelligence and Mr. Budanov himself. If this combat mission, this terrorist attack, this poisoning had achieved its goal, Mr. Budanov would have been morally and psychologically depressed for some time, so to speak. This would have really affected the work of the intelligence service, so there would have been a sense in such a special operation," the military observer believes.

According to Kovalenko, this is also a demonstration of Russia's capabilities: "Like, we can get to any of your family, we don't need you, we can kill any of your family."

"In this way, in the future, they would have the opportunity to influence other representatives of our law enforcement agencies. This is a threat and an attempt on life, and if we had not managed to save Mr. Budanov's wife, this blackmail would have been more justified in the future, if it were directed at any general or law enforcement agency and the military and political leadership of Ukraine, representatives of the President's Office, and so on," he concluded.

• On November 28, it was reported that the wife of the head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Marianna Budanova, was poisoned with heavy metals. She was in the hospital under medical supervision. The Intelligence Service confirmed this.
• Stepan Havrysh, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council in 2008-2011, believes that organizing the poisoning of Budanov's wife, given the successful actions of the Intelligence Service, is a rather complicated operation.
• The Center for Countering Disinformation published a selection of fakes that the Russian enemy produced on November 28. In particular, that the Presidential Office allegedly fears that Budanov and his wife will enter politics.