Ukraine spy chief’s wife poisoned in suspected assassination attempt, Kyiv says

The wife of Ukraine’s top intelligence official has been poisoned by heavy metals and is receiving treatment in the hospital, according to multiple reports. 

Local Ukrainian media reported Marianna Budanova, the wife of Ukraine’s spy chief Kyrylo Budanov, was poisoned with heavy metals in what some are suspecting may be an assassination attempt. Budanov is one of Ukraine’s top military officials and has reportedly survived at least 10 assassination attempts, according to local media. 

It’s unclear what the nature of the heavy metals was and whether they were intentionally given to Budanova. Andrii Yusov, the agency’s spokesman, confirmed Budanova was hospitalized due to heavy metal poisoning to multiple news outlets. He did not suggest who could be behind the attempt, if purposeful, in his statement. 

Yusov previously told local media the military intelligence chief’s wife lives with Budanov in his office, which could suggest an alleged poisoning could have been meant to target him. 

Ukrainian news outlet Babel was the first to report the news, which said Budanova sought treatment after a “prolonged” period of not feeling well. A source with the intelligence agency told the outlet that metals found in her system were uncommon in “everyday life and military affairs,” and suggested that it could be an intentional attempt to poison a specific target. 

Sources told the publication Ukrainska Pravda that she was “most likely poisoned through food.” 

Russia, which launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has been accused of poisoning opponents in the past. In August, the U.S. sanctioned four Russian operatives over their alleged role in the August 2020 poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

The Associated Press contributed.