Russia puts Ukraine's army spy chief on 'wanted' list

Russia put the head of Ukraine's military intelligence (GUR), Kyrylo Budanov, on its "wanted" list on Thursday, accusing the agency he heads of attacks inside its own territory.

Russia added 37-year-old Budanov to the interior ministry list of people wanted for criminal offences.

Moscow accuses Budanov, who has led the GUR since 2020, of having organised a 2022 attack that partially destroyed the bridge linking Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula it annexed, to Russia.

Ukraine said late last month that it suspected Russia of having poisoned Budanov's wife, Marianna Budanova, using mercury and arsenic. Budonova is an adviser to the mayor of Kyiv, Vitali Klitschko.

The Kremlin dismissed the accusation. "Ukraine blames Russia for everything," said spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

Meanwhile, Russia said Thursday that its air defence systems had downed nine Ukrainian drones headed towards the capital, hours ahead of a highly anticipated news conference from President Vladimir Putin.

The reported attack came hours before Putin will hold his first end-of-year conference since launching the Ukraine offensive in February 2022, and a day after a Russian missile attack wounded dozens in Kyiv.

"On-duty air defence units destroyed and intercepted nine Ukrainian UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) over the territory of the Kaluga and Moscow regions," the defence ministry said in a statement, blaming Kyiv for the attack.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said one of the drones was shot down near Naro-Fominsk, a town southwest of the Russian capital.

"According to preliminary data, there was no damage or casualties at the site where the debris fell," Sobyanin said on Telegram.

He said emergency services were working at the site.

Ukraine has hit Russia with regular drone attacks since the summer, when it launched a fresh push to regain territory lost to Moscow.