Budanov assesses whether drones can replace ground troops and points to Russia's main goal

Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov said that drones are not capable of fully replacing ground troops. According to him, UAVs can only inflict losses on the enemy.

At the same time, the soldier remains an important component of combat operations. Budanov said this in an interview with CBC News.

According to him, unmanned systems will never replace ground troops. The DIU chief explained that UAVs can only inflict losses on the enemy, but soldiers continue to play an important role in combat operations.

"Drones will never replace ground troops. It is just a way to support them. Drones can be used to inflict losses on the enemy. But until a soldier comes and puts up a flag, like in the Middle Ages, nothing will change," Budanov explained.

Budanov also said that the leadership of the Russian aggressor country would like to freeze the war and leave the situation as it is at this stage. The DIU chief emphasized that the Kremlin wants Ukraine to recognize the territory they seized as Russian. He added that this will never happen.

As a reminder, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, hinted that the replacement of the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief by President Volodymyr Zelensky was, in his opinion, the right decision. He also commented on rumors of differences in views between Valeriy Zaluzhny and the head of state.

Earlier it was reported that Budanov was once a member of an elite Ukrainian unit trained by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The intelligence officer was famous for his operations behind enemy lines, including in the temporarily occupied Crimea.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, the head of the DIU Kyrylo Budanov said that Ukrainian special forces had already been in Crimea during the full-scale war, in particular, they conducted an operation on the peninsula in 2023. He also announced "new surprises" for the occupiers and hinted at the fate of the Crimean bridge.

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