Banker turned spy: How Ukraine infiltrated Russian intel ahead of the invasion
7:21 PM EST, January 10, 2024
Denis Kireyev, who had connections in both Ukrainian and Russian financial sectors, caught the attention of HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov. Budanov proposed that Kireyev leverage his connections to infiltrate Russian military intelligence.
Banker's collaboration with intelligence gave prewar insight
Kireyev was relocated to Kharkiv, from where he and another intelligence officer crossed the border into Russia to gather information. "He was privy to everything. In our countries, there's always a connection between special services, finance, and crime," Budanov told "The Wall Street Journal".
In the fall of 2021, U.S. intelligence started issuing warnings about a potential Russian attack on Ukraine. Kireyev learned from his sources about Moscow's plans for a full-scale invasion and relayed this information to Budanov.
"He revelled in his Agent 007 role"
The intelligence chief revealed that Kireyev established contacts with European intelligence services and Russian military officials. He also agreed to represent Kyiv in early ceasefire talks between Russia and Ukraine. His friends characterized him as being quite taken with "the role of Agent 007".
On the afternoon of February 23, Kireyev updated Budanov about Putin's invasion order. "Kireyev's information provided Ukraine with critical hours to better prepare for the onslaught," stated the newspaper. Had it not been for Kireyev, "Kyiv would likely have been overtaken," Budanov said by "The Wall Street Journal."
A hero's burial
Kireyev participated in negotiations between Ukrainian and Russian delegations in the Belarusian city of Gomel on February 28. On March 5, 2022, reports surfaced that he had been shot in Kyiv during an arrest by SBU representatives on suspicion of treason.
"The Wall Street Journal" noted that Kireyev, at 45, was killed under the presumption of being a Russian spy. Nonetheless, a few days later, Kireyev was buried as a hero. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posthumously honored Denis Kireyev with a medal for his "outstanding contribution to the defense of the sovereignty and security of the nation."
