This article is part of this Deep Dive
Ukraine's wartime strongmen (2/4) – As the head of military intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov is in charge of Kyiv's invisible war. Master of drones and clandestine operations, he has turned the GUR into a state within the state, professing loyalty to President Zelensky while harbouring his own ambitions.
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Malyuk, Budanov, Madyar and Biletsky: four faces and four facets of Ukraine at war. As department heads, behind-the-scenes strategists or elite commanders, they are shaping a new Ukrainian army and, for many, already preparing for the post-war period, when the country's destiny will then be decided at the ballot box.



