The wife of Kyrylo Budanov, Ukraine's top military intelligence official, has been hospitalized with symptoms consistent with heavy metals poisoning, according to Ukrainian and western officials. Marianna Budanova's illness has raised suspicions of possible Russian involvement, given GUR's active role in Ukraine's efforts to combat Russian aggression.

Test results have indicated that staff members of Ukraine's Defense Intelligence agency have also fallen ill, further deepening concerns. Andriy Yusov, a spokesman for the agency, confirmed the sickness among the personnel, and Ukraine has initiated an investigation into the matter.

While American and western intelligence officials have yet to independently authenticate the poisoning, they trust the credibility of the Ukrainian reports, say sources familiar with the situation, as shared with CNN.

Though the severity of Budanova's condition remains uncertain, a GUR representative mentioned that she has been under hospital care for a week and had been experiencing health issues before her admission. An anonymous source from Defense Intelligence divulged to CNN that Budanova tested positive for arsenic and mercury. CNN has reached out to Budanova for comment but has yet to receive a response.

This incident has heightened fears and suspicion due to Russia's history of carrying out extraterritorial poisonings against its perceived enemies. One notable case occurred in England in 2018 when Russian agents used a nerve agent to poison Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military officer and double agent working for British intelligence agencies. Additionally, in the 1950s, the KGB employed thallium, a heavy metal commonly found in rat poisons and insecticides, to poison one of its defected agents in the United States.

Notably, during Ukraine-Russia talks in Turkey earlier this year, a Russian billionaire and two Ukrainian negotiators experienced mild symptoms such as skin peeling and sore eyes. Initial reports suggested poisoning, but subsequent investigations revealed that environmental factors, rather than deliberate poisoning, contributed to their illnesses.

As Marianna Budanova's case unfolds, Ukrainian authorities and international intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the situation to ascertain the exact cause of her illness and identify any potential perpetrators.