UN on Ukraine Intel Chief Admitting to Assassinations in Russia: We're Against Terror Acts

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) - The United Nations said on Tuesday it has not seen remarks by Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov claiming responsibility for recent assassinations of public figures in Russia, but opposes "all" terrorist attacks.

"I have not seen the quote. I am not able to talk on the veracity of it," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a briefing.

"But of course, we stand against any and all acts of terrorism."

In a YouTube interview published on Tuesday, Budanov admitted Kiev's involvement in recent assassinations of Russian public figures, bragging that Ukraine had already "got to" many of them.

At the same time, Budanov refused to say whether Ukraine had been behind the attempted murder of Russian writer, politician and co-chairman of the political party A Just Russia — For Truth, Zakhar Prilepin, that took place earlier in the month.

"When you get personal, I have to answer you the way any intelligence services in the world usually do. We cannot comment on this situation and can neither confirm nor deny this information," the intelligence official added.

On May 6, Prilepin's car was blown up on a highway in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Region. The driver was killed, while Prilepin was injured. The main suspect in the assassination attempt, Alexander Permyakov, was apprehended by the regional police in hot pursuit later that day.

He admitted during an interrogation that he had acted on the instructions of the Ukrainian special services, the Russian Investigative Committee said.

Another terrorist attack involving a prominent Russian national took place in early April. An unidentified explosive device went off in a cafe in the center of St. Petersburg, killing military reporter Vladlen Tatarsky. Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee said the terrorist attack had been planned by the Ukrainian special services.

In an interview with US media earlier this month, Budanov - when asked about US intelligence reportedly attributing the August car-bomb assassination of Daria Dugina to the Ukrainian government - asked not to "continue with that topic."

Instead, he added that all he would comment on is that Ukrainian forces "have been killing Russians" and "will keep killing Russians anywhere on the face of this world until the complete victory of Ukraine."

At the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Budanov's statements confirm Russian President Vladimir Putin was right to begin a special military operation in Ukraine.

Peskov said Budanov's "monstrous" words are a direct confirmation that the Ukrainian authorities are not "just a sponsor, but also an organizer of terrorist activity."