Ukraine Intelligence Chief's wife was poisoned with arsenic and mercury - sources

Sources told Ukrainska Pravda.

"Marianna Budanova, the wife of the Chief of Ukrainian Defence Intelligence, was poisoned, in particular, with arsenic and mercury," the statement reads.

Representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate Andriy Yusov confirmed this information to Radio Liberty. 

"Marianna Budanova was indeed poisoned by heavy metals. She is currently undergoing treatment, which is about to be completed," he said.

According to him, the information published in the media is true, but the Main Intelligence Directorate will disclose more details later.

Earlier, a number of media outlets, citing intelligence sources, claimed that Budanov's wife was poisoned and hospitalized after a prolonged deterioration in her health.

"Now the course of treatment is being completed, then the doctors will monitor her," the source told Babel.

According to the source, it's heavy metal poisoning.

"These substances are not used in any way in everyday life or military affairs. Their presence may indicate a deliberate attempt to poison a particular person," the intelligence noted.

They are also not sure whether the woman was poisoned once or in several doses.

An investigation into the alleged attempted murder of the Intelligence Chief's wife is currently underway.

In addition, the source noted that Budanov himself had also been subjected to assassination attempts both before and after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In September, Budanov told reporters that his wife Marianna lives with him in his office. She is a police officer and works as a lecturer at the Department of Legal Psychology at the National Academy of Internal Affairs.

• In May, the Main Intelligence Directorate said that there had been over 10 assassination attempts against Budanov.