The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, stated that the circle around Russian President Vladimir Putin, which shapes his opinions and assists in decision-making, remains unchanged. Reports TCN. This information was shared by Kontrakty.UA.
He mentioned this in an interview with "Ukrinform".
The head of military intelligence pointed out that the influence of the head of the Security Council of Russia, Sergey Shoigu, on Putin's decisions has significantly diminished.
"The only thing is that Shoigu's role has greatly decreased. This is the only change, while Patrushev's role has not changed much. This is an interesting point. The position of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense of the Russian Federation is a key position in Russia. The other issue is that Shoigu has been limited in this role," Budanov said.
He also noted that currently, the office of Russian President's assistant Sergey Patrushev is located in the Kremlin, whereas it was previously at a different address.
"I’m saying, it’s not as simple as it seems at first glance. Changes have been brewing, they did what they did. But Shoigu has not become Patrushev. He can't even appoint his own deputies," the head of the GUR explained.
He also commented on the performance of the new Russian Minister of Defense, Andriy Byelousov. According to Budanov, the minister is working adequately. Putin views Byelousov "technocratically," meaning he is someone who deals with bureaucratic and organizational matters.
The head of the GUR pointed out that the work of the Russian Minister of Defense is "more in the shadows" and is yielding results.
"Let’s be honest, it is yielding results. They have managed to slightly reduce the level of embezzlement in the Russian army, they really have. This is a fact, but it has decreased. More is going towards the development and support of the Russian Armed Forces, etc. Well, that’s what is apparent," Budanov shared.
By the way, earlier the head of the GUR stated that the strategic goal of Russia regarding Ukraine – to absorb it – remains unchanged. Moscow will continue its actions until it achieves this goal.