Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, has asserted that a rising number of high-ranking Russian officials are privately urging Vladimir Putin to terminate the war in Ukraine. In a recent interview with Suspilne, Budanov noted that while internal skepticism existed even before the 2022 invasion—specifically among General Staff officers—the volume of dissent has reached unprecedented levels.
Budanov suggests that Russia’s tactical advances on the front lines have not silenced these critics, largely due to the staggering financial and human toll. “The price of this advancement is expensive, even by Russia’s standards,” Budanov remarked, highlighting that the drain on the state’s resources is becoming unsustainable for the Kremlin’s elite.
Reports of internal friction have been bolstered by recent leaks regarding Dmitry Kozak, the former Deputy Chief of the Russian Presidential Administration. According to The New York Times and independent Russian outlet Agentstvo, Kozak allegedly sabotaged certain orders and sent a scathing letter to Putin criticizing the war effort. Kozak reportedly told the Russian President he was prepared for arrest or execution rather than continuing to support the current military trajectory, advocating instead for domestic reform and an immediate end to the conflict.
