A Russian namesake of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, fights on the side of Ukraine. 18-year-old Mykyta Budanov from Kostroma recently joined the 'Freedom of Russia' legion. As reported by 'Hlavkom', the young man shared his story with the project 'I want to live'.
Mykyta has been interested in politics since he was 13 and wondered why people abroad live in normal conditions while outside his window there is dirt and ruin. He drew his conclusions from what was happening and, after the start of the full-scale war, decided to switch to the Ukrainian side. He first found information about the legion online, wrote to them, and got a curator. Under his guidance, he painted graffiti in his hometown but got caught by law enforcement and received orders to lie low afterwards.
The young Russian's plans are to survive and gain a profession. He would like to live in Odesa and master shipbuilding.
"My father said he would curse me if I switched to the side of Ukraine. My mother will likely also disown me as she is an employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kostroma," shares Mykyta Budanov.
Occupiers from the Russian Federation surrender to Ukrainian troops
Earlier, a 20-year-old occupier, Dizenko Kyrylo from the Krasnodar Krai of the Russian Federation, surrendered to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He stated that he signed a contract in 2025 to avoid imprisonment for fraud and extortion.
Previously, under Kharkiv, Russian company commander Vladislav Balgrabski led the rest of his company in surrender to the fighters of the 13th Brigade of the National Guard 'Chartia'. The Russian battalion was virtually destroyed within a few months of fighting, and the remaining soldiers of the seventh motorized rifle regiment chose life. The company commander led his subordinates to Ukrainian positions to save their lives.
Mykyta Budanov, a Russian namesake of the head of intelligence of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, chose to defend Ukraine at the front. His family, whose fate is uncertain due to this choice, marks significant risks that lead to tears and separation. At the same time, occupiers from the Russian Federation are surrendering to Ukrainian troops, demonstrating despair over their actions and moral fragmentation within the aggressor state.