Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov says he regularly spoke with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin

Source: The New York Times

Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office, told The New York Times that he regularly communicated with Yevgeny Prigozhin, founder of the Wagner mercenary group, while serving at Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) under the Defense Ministry.

Budanov said his contact with Prigozhin ended shortly before Wagner’s mutiny, and he did not disclose further details about the negotiations.

No official reports had previously indicated that Budanov and Prigozhin had any contact at all.

The Washington Post reported in 2023, citing sources, that Prigozhin had offered HUR representatives a deal: he would hand over information on Russian troop positions that Ukraine could use to attack them, in exchange for a Ukrainian withdrawal from Bakhmut.

Prigozhin mocked the report: “Yes, of course, I can confirm this information. We have nothing at all to hide from foreign intelligence services: Budanov and I are still in Africa.”

Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in August 2023, two months after leading the mutiny.

Kyrylo Budanov has led Ukraine’s Presidential Office since January 2026, after heading the HUR for six years. He has also taken part in negotiations to end the war with Russia.

At Meduza, we are committed to transparency about our use of artificial intelligence in the newsroom. The story you’re reading was written by one of our living, breathing journalists and translated from Russian using an AI model configured to follow our strict editorial standards. This translation process is the result of extensive testing and refinements to ensure our English-language coverage is timely and accurate. A Meduza editor reviews every draft before publication.

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Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov says he regularly spoke with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin

Prigozhin’s mutiny

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Head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov says he regularly spoke with Wagner Group founder Yevgeny Prigozhin

Prigozhin’s mutiny

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