Spectacular images, recently appeared online, capture a critical moment experienced by the head of Ukraine’s military intelligence service, Kirilo Budanov. He is filmed while jumping into the sea from a drilling platform in the Black Sea, during a drone attack by Russian forces.
According to circulated information, the incident allegedly took place in August 2025, during an operational visit of a Ukrainian military intelligence team to one of the so-called “Boiko’s towers” — offshore gas extraction infrastructures. The targeted platform, known as “Crimea-1”, suddenly came under fire after the presence of Ukrainian military personnel was detected by the Russian side.
The drone attack would have radically changed the situation on the ground. Caught in the midst of their mission, the team members were forced to evacuate hastily. In the emerged images, Budanov and other soldiers jump from a height directly into the water, in an attempt to save themselves and leave the area targeted by strikes.
(Note: The text provided is a HTML code containing a Twitter link, which doesn’t require translation.)
According to the same sources, the Russians would have noticed the movement of several vessels near the platforms and launched the attack just as the Ukrainian forces were already on the installation. Only later, with the publication of the recordings, did the details of this tense episode come to light.
This is not the first time Budanov’s name has been associated with such risky missions. In 2025, he inspected the defensive positions on the objectives reclaimed by Ukraine in the Black Sea, including Snake Island and the disputed drilling platforms. At that time, the official evaluated the defense capabilities and directly discussed with the military personnel involved in the operations.
Details, HERE