Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated that the Russian Federation planned but failed to implement the most expensive information-psychological operation against Ukraine in its history.
Kyrylo Budanov disclosed this during discussions at the "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum held on February 25 in Kyiv.
"They couldn't come up with anything better than to call this operation 'Maidan-3' - that's how it was officially referred to in their documents. It's the most costly operation for them, and it's already practically failed.
As part of this operation, Russian forces planned the following: to create a situation that would cast doubt on the legitimacy of decision-making in Ukraine after May 20 of this year.
"They counted on a certain turmoil in Ukrainian society in connection with this, which would be projected onto our military. After sowing doubt in our army, in the first half of June, they planned to inflict a military defeat in the east, taking advantage of the previously destabilized situation in the army. But they won't be able to achieve a military victory, and their special operation has already failed," Budanov noted.
Responding to journalists' questions about the reasons for the death of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny, Kyrylo Budanov noted that Navalny did indeed die as a result of thrombus detachment.
"Unfortunately, that's true, he died from thrombus detachment. But it should be remembered that the Russian regime deliberately brought him to such a state of health, using various means."