Budanov Released Footage Of The Most Secret Operations Carried Out By The GUR's Special Forces
- 7.09.2026, 15:00
One of the photos is from Red Square.
The Head of the President’s Office and Director of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov shared footage of the most secret operations carried out by special forces. Among the photos published by Budanov to mark Military Intelligence Day was a shot taken on Red Square in Moscow.
“From Russia to Africa, from business suits to camouflage—the Main Intelligence Directorate protects Ukraine’s interests across the globe by any means necessary. Today, on Military Intelligence Day, we recall the unique missions of Ukrainian intelligence officers across the globe. On land and at sea, on the ground and in the air, in the scorching sands of the deserts and in the snows of icy Antarctica, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense carries out the most complex tasks for the sake of the Motherland,” — wrote the former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate on social media.
According to Budanov, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) has been “standing guard over Ukraine’s security” for 34 years, and during the full-scale war, special forces have become “one of the strongest pillars of Ukrainian statehood and freedom.”
“I wish you a steely spirit and a steady hand, and a reliable friend by your side who will have your back. The missions carried out by the Main Intelligence Directorate are the most challenging of any, and an intelligence officer must always be ready to carry them out,” he emphasized.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Khmara also congratulated military intelligence representatives on their professional holiday. He emphasized that military intelligence officers gather information on a daily basis that determines decisions on the battlefield, inflicts significant losses on the enemy, and weakens Russia’s ability to wage war.
“Behind every successful operation there is often work that no one sees: hours of preparation, observation, analysis, cold calculation, and composure. This is precisely what allows the Defense Forces to stay one step ahead and change the course of hostilities. This service demands enormous responsibility—for every decision, for saving the lives of comrades-in-arms, and for the success of combat operations,” the minister stated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized in his congratulatory message that GUR soldiers, together with other soldiers of the Defense Forces, ensured the defense of Kyiv, the liberation of Zmeinyi Island, and “hundreds of other defensive operations on the territory of our state and behind enemy lines, which are essential for Ukraine.”