Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov stated that the russian federation planned but failed to implement the most expensive information and psychological operation against Ukraine in its history.

Kyrylo Budanov said this on the sidelines of "Ukraine. Year 2024" forum, which held on 25 February in Kyiv.

"They couldn't think of anything better than to call this operation 'Maidan-3' - it was officially called in their documents. This is the most expensive operation for them and it has already almost failed.

As part of this operation, they planned the following: to create a situation in which the legitimacy of decision-making in Ukraine after 20 May of this year could be called into question. They were counting on a certain confusion in Ukrainian society in this regard, which would be projected on our army. After this, having sowed double opinions in our army, in the first half of June they planned inflicting a military defeat in the east, taking advantage of the previously undermined situation in the army. But they will not be able to inflict a military defeat, and their special operation has already failed," Kyrylo Budanov said.

Answering journalists' questions about the cause of russian opposition leader Oleksii Navalnyi's death, Kyrylo Budanov said that Navalnyi had indeed died as a result of a blood clot.

"Unfortunately, this is true, he died of a blood clot. But it should be remembered that the russian regime deliberately brought him to such a state of health using various means".