Amid strained global relations, Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIU), revealed explosive information in an interview that affects not only Europe but also the Middle East. According to a report by “Ukrainian PravdaHe revealed that infantry weapons captured by Russia in Ukraine were proven to have been delivered to the Palestinian Hamas group. Budanov is of the opinion that if the events in Israel end within a few weeks, this would have no impact on the conflict in Ukraine. But he also warns of a looming “global war.”
Russia is training Hamas fighters to use deadly FPV drones
In an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, Budanov explained that the Russians had primarily supplied Hamas with infantry weapons. There were also signs that weapons had gone to Hezbollah, but there was no concrete information about this. Interestingly, he highlights the role of the Russians in dealing with FPV drones. Budanov argues that only people with experience in the Ukrainian theater of war could have trained Hamas fighters in the use of such drones against armored units – so in his opinion it must have been the Russians.
Sputnik launches in Lebanon
In addition, the head of the DIU announced that Russia appears to be taking targeted measures to spread its narratives in the Middle East. For example, a week before the start of hostilities in Israel, a Russian radio station called Sputnik was launched in Lebanon, which broadcasts in Arabic and, according to Budanov, has a strongly propagandistic and clearly Russian-influenced content. Another worrying detail was that on September 24, a Russian spacecraft capable of conducting electronic warfare and intercepting satellite signals was launched into Israel’s geostationary orbit.
Russian delegation negotiates intelligence expansion in Iran
According to Budanov, between September 22nd and 24th, a Russian military delegation visited Iran, where discussions were apparently held about expanding intelligence capabilities. In this context too, he emphasized in an interview with Ukrainska Pravda, it was not just about Iran, but generally about “all interested parties”.
Budanov warns of impending shortages of military aid
Finally, Budanov emphasizes the potential impact of the Israel conflict on military aid to Ukraine. If this is limited to a few weeks, there are no worries. However, if the situation drags on, he predicts problems with arms and ammunition supplies, not only for Ukraine. He sees no problems with military aid until the middle of next year, but after that the circumstances will depend heavily on Ukraine’s strategic narrative and ability to expand domestic production.
