Russian Budanov fights for Ukraine: the story of the legionnaire who shares a surname with the head of the GUR.

According to inkorr.com: 18-year-old Mykyta Budanov from Kostroma, a namesake of the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov, decided to join the 'Freedom of Russia' legion and fight on the side of Ukraine. As reported by 'Hromadske', the young man shared his story in the project 'I want to live'.

Since the age of 13, Mykyta has been interested in politics and began to wonder why people in other countries live in better conditions, while at home there is dirt and ruin. After the full-scale war began, he decided to side with Ukraine. He first found information about the legion online, reached out to them, and was assigned a mentor who taught him how to paint graffiti in his hometown. However, he was detained by law enforcement, and after that, Mykyta received an order to disappear from sight.

The young Russian intends to survive and gain a profession. He dreams of living in Odesa and mastering shipbuilding.

‘My father said he would curse me if I sided with Ukraine. My mother will likely also disown me, as she works for the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Kostroma,’ says Mykyta Budanov.

Occupants from the Russian Federation surrender to Ukrainian troops

Recently, 20-year-old occupant Kyrylo Dyzenko from Krasnodar Krai, Russia, surrendered to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He admitted that he signed a contract in 2025 to avoid imprisonment for fraud and extortion.

Earlier, near Kharkiv, Russian platoon commander Vladyslav Balhrabski led his platoon into captivity with Ukrainian troops. The Russian battalion had been nearly destroyed over several months of fighting, and the remaining soldiers of the seventh motorized rifle regiment chose life. The platoon commander brought his subordinates to Ukrainian positions to save their lives.

Thus, the story of Mykyta Budanov, a Russian who decided to defend Ukraine, reflects the significant risks associated with his choice that may lead to tears and separation in the family. However, the situation at the front also demonstrates that Russian soldiers are beginning to surrender to Ukrainian troops, indicating despair and a moral crisis within the aggressor.