Top Ukrainian official gives inside look at the war with Russia

( NewsNation ) EXCLUSIVE — Four and a half years after Russia attacked Ukraine, the war between the two countries continues to rage. But this is not just a regional war, according to Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov , head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

Budanov says we could be at the beginning of World War III, if peace does not prevail soon.

“North Korean troops are in Europe. Russia is supporting Iran that fights the U.S. and civilized countries of the Gulf. There’s a whole range of hostilities happening in various countries of Africa where you see the same players support one or the other side,” the official told NewsNation.

Despite multiple conflicts around the world, his focus is on Ukraine and finding an end to the more than four-year-long war.

In an exclusive, far-reaching interview with NewsNation, Budanov — effectively the chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky and the former head of Ukraine’s military intelligence agency — paints a clear-eyed picture of the war, the importance of the relationship with the U.S., Ukraine’s stability after a period of internal strife and what he personally relies on to navigate life during wartime.

The interview was conducted prior to the U.S. delegation traveling to Ukraine , but after CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly visited Moscow.

Of the official’s trip to the Russian capital, Budanov says he views it as a “positive thing because you need to always be talking.”

He added he was glad Ratcliffe spoke with the Russians about a trilateral summit, because it shows that the U.S. is ready for it. Ukraine, he continued, is also ready but he does not believe Russia is.

This past weekend’s trips, by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, to Russia and Ukraine to jumpstart talks is a step forward, though nothing concrete has come of it yet.

A Ukrainian source familiar with the discussions in Kyiv, said they “were productive, some new ideas were discussed, and the goal is to end the war by the winter.”

FILE – Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov speaks during press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka, File)

Budanov said he would “love this war to end in a just way so the aggressor would be punished.”

He also acknowledged that whenever a ceasefire is declared, the territorial lines will be “formed by the real state of affairs, the real status quo on the front line.”

So, it’s possible Ukraine could lose some territory given Russia currently occupies sections of the Donbas region. He expects the end to fighting to come with the help and mediation of the U.S., and specifically Trump.

In the meantime, the war is at a stalemate, the lieutenant general noted, adding, “Russia is not getting any strategic advances on the battlefield.”

He explained that Moscow may get “certain tactical gains, but we are getting certain tactical gains, too.”

“That is the reason why Russia switched to ordinary tactics of drone and missile terror against civilian populations and against civilian infrastructure,” Budanov continued.

Wednesday, a Russian drone struck near a mall killing at least two and wounding 14 others. Another strike hit a residential apartment building in Kyiv killing one person and injuring seven, including two children. There have been regular fatal attacks against civilians by Russia.

When asked if Ukraine would change tactics and target civilians as well, Budanov says, “we are not terrorists. And we’re only targeting legitimate military targets.”

Ukraine has focused their attacks on oil refineries, factories and warehouses, adding an economic strain to the attacks.

Zelensky said Ukrainian forces on Wednesday struck targets including a naval base and terminal for loading oil, as well as military port facilities and warships carrying missiles in Russia’s Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk and in the Krasnodar region.

Firefighters put out a fire after a Russian drone hit a gas station in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A United Nations report shows the agency verified at least 16,000 Ukrainian civilian deaths between the start of the war on Feb. 24, 2022 through July 2026.

That number likely doesn’t reflect all deaths, with unconfirmed deaths reported and incomplete information from some areas. Since the July report, the number has increased.

Available data shows far more Ukrainian citizens are dying than Russian citizens.

According to The New York Times, which cites the tracking group Conflict Intelligence Team , in the first seven months of this year, 327 civilians died in Russia from attacks. In Ukraine, the number was 1,695 civilians.

FILE – Ukrainian Air Force’s F-16 fighter jets fly over a Patriot Air and Missile Defense System in an undisclosed location in Ukraine, on Aug. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

Budanov explained that one challenge for Ukraine is defending itself against Russia’s use of ballistic missiles, which are harder to intercept without a Patriot missile system .

Ukraine has asked the Trump administration for more missiles, and there has been talk of U.S. defense companies licensing the technology.

The official told NewsNation, “I’m not saying give that to us as a gift. I’m saying sell to us.”

“It is the civilian population who die because of those Russian ballistic missiles and Russian drones … We need those interceptor missiles to protect our women and children, to protect the future of this country,” he added.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky looks on during his meeting with President Trump on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 8, 2026.

Ukraine’s leaders are aware that Russia may be preparing a large mobilization, which likely includes drafting more Russians to fight. The Kyiv Post reports Russia is preparing to send up to 400,000 troops to the front in large part to take the Donbas, a region of Ukraine that Russia is contesting.

“I can say that nothing good comes out of it for Ukraine, but I can also say that for Russia, it will only end with a huge increase in [the] number of dead bodies,” Budanov said in the interview. ” It will be another challenge for our defense industry here in Ukraine.”

He continued, “Because we’ll have to significantly increase the production of drones that are used to kill the enemy and also projectiles and shells of various types. Because we need to be saving our soldiers.”

Should Ukraine need to mobilize further, the general says, “there is, of course, a degree of tiredness among the population, but still, thank God, the population understands that a collapse at the front line means a collapse of statehood.”

Working in Russia’s favor is their large population, something Budanov acknowledges. According to Worldometer , there are about 143 million people in Russia to Ukraine’s 40 million. With so many people, Moscow can afford to lose more and replace them quickly on the battlefield.

Ratcliffe has said the life expectancy of a Russian soldier at the front lines is just 30 minutes. More often than not, they’re killed by a drone.

The general noted that Ukraine’s technological adaptation has kept them in the fight and started to turn the tide of the war. He added that technologically well-equipped personnel can repel attacks of a larger enemy force.

Ukraine has arguably become the best in the world at drone warfare. Zelensky hopes the country will produce up to 10 million this year.

Budanov said the future will include more automation, more reliance on cyber systems, further integration of AI and more automated weapons systems.

“But still, the role of a human soldier at the battlefield, it will stay and it will remain,” he added.

While the U.S. has issued sanctions against Russia, a new bill that passed the Senate would be far more punitive in the hopes of pushing Russia to the negotiating table and ending the war.

Originally ushered by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), the bill would, in part, allow the president to impose economic pressure via a tariff of up to 100 percent on all goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, as well as countries helping Russia evade oil sanctions.

“We have high hopes for this bill. And to my personal opinion, this very bill is a large advantage to the U.S. and the presidency in particular,” Budanov says.

He believes it would provide leverage to the institution of the presidency, and in this case, Trump could add or remove tariffs depending on whether Russia’s President Vladimir Putin listens to him.

It is exactly that power that has some Democratic House leaders concerned. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, explained that he and other Democrats support Ukraine and want to punish Russia, but believe their bill is more effective because it would mandate the sanctions, Trump couldn’t waive them and it would address humanitarian aid as well as munitions support.

Perhaps most importantly to Meeks, he pointed to the institution of Congress while telling NewsNation they are the ones “that deal with tariffs.”

“That’s what the Constitution says…we should not be giving that authority away to any president, Democrat or Republican,” the New York lawmaker added.

Meeks said he’s open to a conversation with Zelensky and would even travel to Ukraine for it. With the midterm elections around the corner, it is unlikely the current bill will advance past the House floor, leaving the issue of harsher sanctions against Russia unresolved.

FILE – Ukraine’s former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov speaks to journalists during a joint press conference with Sweden’s Defense Minister Pal Jonson in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, July 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, file)

In mid-July, Zelensky fired then-Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov in a move that was seen as favoring top military commander General Oleksandr Syrski , who was considered more “old-school” in terms of his leadership.

Fedorov had focused on tech-driven warfare and was credited with being part of the turnaround on the battlefield due to drone dominance. He was also popular with many Ukrainians for focusing on rooting out corruption. Thousands of Ukrainians protested his firing.

With the protests, Syrskyi was not chosen as defense minister, and no longer has his role as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces (in Ukraine, that position reports to the defense minister).

Describing Fedorov, Budanov calls him, “a person without military experience. I’m not even speaking about the live combat experience, I’m speaking about just the experience in the military, a person without such experience cannot be in charge of the military ministry.”

Fedorov’s replacement is Yevhenii Khmara , who has combat experience. Mykhailo Drapatyi is the new commander of the armed forces. Budanov says time will tell whether they’ll be effective butNA calls on Ukrainians to give them the chance.

Regarding the corruption Fedorov was after, Budanov says, “All the politicians are campaigning and getting positions using slogans of fighting corruption.”

He explained it is the minister’s responsibility to eradicate corruption. The general also points out there are anti-corruption organizations to help.

Budanov’s name has come up in an investigation by NABU, one of the anti-corruption organizations. He did not seem concerned, however.

“I’ve always had very deep respect for our National Anti-Corruption Bureau and Special Anti-Corruption Prosecution,” he said in the interview. “That’s why I’m convinced that they will find out the smallest details who’s to blame and what are the mistakes or what are the felonies that they have committed.”

A Ukrainian flag waves during the flag-raising ceremony to mark the National Flag Day at the WWII memorial in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Despite the war, life goes on. When asked what music he listens to on good days and bad, he laughed and listed hard rock, heavy metal (including Metallica ) and some classical. His religion, family and specifically his wife help keep him grounded and bring him joy.

“She always supports me and when she’s nearby I’m not afraid of anything,” he told NewsNation.

That laughter, though, seems rare, which is not surprising since Ukraine is fighting for its survival. Throughout the interview, Budanov referenced the importance of “human capital,” including the soldiers and civilians.

“Capital is something you need to take care of, try not to lose at least and try to increase at most,” the general continued.

His message to Trump and Ukrainian soldiers? Believe in Ukraine.