Spy chief Budanov’s remarks come as the origin of what Bloomberg described as leaked recordings of sensitive US-Russia calls remains unclear
Kiev is capable of listening in on high‑ranking Russian officials, the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service (HUR), Kirill Budanov, has claimed.
His comments come less than two weeks after Bloomberg published what it described as transcripts of phone calls between Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Russia’s investment envoy and Ukraine negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.
In the leaked conversations, Witkoff appeared to offer guidance on how the Kremlin might present a peace plan that could resonate with Trump, while Dmitriev separately outlined Moscow’s informal conditions for ending the conflict. Bloomberg did not disclose how it obtained access to such a sensitive exchange, and Moscow claimed the leak was aimed at hindering talks between Russia and the US.
A video posted by RBK Ukraine on Sunday shows Budanov being asked directly whether Ukrainian intelligence can eavesdrop on Kremlin officials.
“We can, yes. We get money for this,” he replied. Budanov did not provide any details to support the claim.
While Zelensky’s office denied involvement, Budanov’s remarks hint at a possible Ukrainian role, especially as the leaked talks suggest Kiev was being bypassed.
As blame for the leak circulates among various parties, a European security official told The Wall Street Journal in November that dozens of countries could have intercepted Ushakov’s calls, as he was using an unsecured cellphone line.
Last week, The Guardian quoted a former US intelligence official who said the leak likely came from Washington, possibly by someone opposing Trump’s policy.
Speaking to Kommersant last month, Ushakov suggested the leaks could be part of a campaign against Witkoff, and said some of the materials were fake. He warned that disclosing such confidential talks could damage trust between the US and Russia, comparing the case to the 2017 Mike Flynn scandal, when leaks of a Russian call forced Trump’s national security adviser to resign.
A senior Trump official offered a different view, telling the WSJ the leak likely came from a foreign intelligence agency. The official said the real target was Ushakov, who was also recorded speaking with Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev.
