Budanov mocked his third arrest in Russia
Kirill Budanov, head of the Office of the President, called the latest decision by a Russian court to arrest him in absentia “a peculiar acknowledgment of his effectiveness.” The official emphasized that the decisions of Russia’s so-called courts have no significance whatsoever for him or for the rest of humanity, and declared his intention to continue working effectively against the enemy.
A Moscow court arrested Budanov in absentia, this time accusing him of allegedly using prohibited means and methods of warfare. Russian propaganda media reported that the defense’s so-called appeal had been rejected, but did not specify who exactly had filed it or what the grounds were.
Budanov wrote about this in a Telegram post.
This decision marks the third time the official has been arrested in absentia in Russia. In April 2023, the Lefortovo Court in Moscow issued the first such ruling in a “terrorism” case, and in late 2023, the Basmanny Court arrested Budanov for a second time, accusing him of involvement in over 100 drone attacks on Russian territory.
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