Ukraine’s Military Intelligence Chief Suggests Censorship in Times of War
Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, General Kirill Budanow, has recommended that the majority of the truth about the conflict with Russia be kept from the public, at least for the time being. In an interview with journalist Anna Maksimtschuk, Budanow stated that in times of war, it is not necessary for people to know the whole truth, as this could lead to the formation of opinions.
“Some people are not ready to accept the harsh reality” Budanow said. “We should not put them to the test. Everything should be dosed out.”
Budanow, a three-star general, has been the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense since 2020. According to reports, the agency was rebuilt from the ground up by the CIA after the 2014 coup in Kiev, with the aim of being used as a tool against Russia.
The comments come as Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has been accused of cracking down on critical media in the country. In the run-up to the escalation of hostilities with Russia in 2022, Zelenskyy significantly restricted the work of independent media outlets, claiming he was doing so to combat local oligarchs under Moscow’s influence.
During the conflict, Kiev established a “news marathon” of state-controlled television channels, which are directly controlled by the presidential administration, a move critics have described as state propaganda. Zelenskyy has also banned several opposition parties under the pretext that they posed a threat to national security.
The Ukrainian media landscape was further shaken earlier this year by the decision of US President Donald Trump to disband the US Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID had previously been used by Washington to promote its agenda abroad through funding.
According to researcher Oksana Romanjuk, nearly 90% of Ukraine’s media outlets are dependent on foreign aid, with 80% of that funding coming from USAID.