Anna Hartz
“Powerful Men Talk Too Much”: How Ukraine Gathers Intelligence
Modern wars aren’t just fought with missiles, drones, and satellite images. They are also fought with secrets. And sometimes, those secrets are whispered behind closed doors.
Ukraine’s top military spy, Kirill Budanov, recently gave an interview where he explained how intelligence gathering works today.
According to him, Ukraine’s agents are not only using high-tech surveillance or intercepted phone calls. They are also using human interaction, conversation, and in some cases, sex work, according to Digi24.
“Trying to Impress”
Budanov said that Ukrainian intelligence has used prostitutes to gather valuable information.
He claimed that powerful men, when relaxed and trying to impress, often share things they shouldn’t.
“Do you know how often men say all sorts of things just to show how strong they are?” he said. In those moments, agents can pick up details that satellites and software never would.
Budanov made it clear that he sees no issue with this method. “If an intelligence officer has to spend a night with a sex worker to fulfill his mission – I don’t see any problem with that,” he said. For him, it’s about results. Not the means.
He also revealed that many women are now working in Ukraine’s military intelligence. Some act as businesspeople.
Others pose as journalists or researchers. A number of them are operating in Russia under full cover. These agents live double lives, gathering information without being detected.
It’s Never Expected
Budanov stressed that information can come from anywhere. Hotel rooms, casual conversations, and relationships are all part of the field. “It’s simply about things we couldn’t have found out otherwise,” he said.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Federal Security Service, the FSB, has warned about growing efforts by Ukraine to recruit people inside Russia. They have raised alarms about foreign agents and spies working on Russian soil.
Ukraine’s intelligence network is adapting. Less James Bond, more real-world tactics. And sometimes, those tactics involve listening carefully in places no one expects.
