Budanov leads the ranking of influential Ukrainians among military personnel, considering the trust placed in him - blogger

Among the influential Ukrainians from the military, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, rightfully holds the leadership. This opinion was expressed by blogger and public figure Yevhen Prokopyishyn, commenting on the "TOP-100 Influential Ukrainians of 2025" rating compiled by "Focus" magazine.

For most categories, the nominees are predictable and recurring year after year. However, it is interesting to highlight the military - here, the Ukrainian military as a collective image leads. As for individual persons, Generals Syrskyi (AFU) and Budanov (GUR) are unequivocally named as leaders - in that exact order. I will not venture to guess by what criteria the evaluation was carried out, but if public trust were taken into account, Budanov's leadership would be obvious and deserved (unlike Syrskyi's)

He reminded that over the past year and a half, Budanov has consistently been a leader in terms of trust, not only among the military but also among non-politicians in general (and overall he is #3 in the country after Zelenskyy and Zaluzhnyi).

Moreover, according to Prokopyishyn, it is difficult to consider the head of the GUR merely as a military figure, as he works strategically: military and political intelligence, special operations, cooperation with special services of other countries, information-psychological operations (IPSO), etc.

Overall, one thing is clear - in the future, the country's political landscape will change significantly, and there will be many military personnel who will definitely play a key role in governing the State. And among them, I see Budanov as the most politically ready, who enjoys high public trust and respect among the military. And this can be converted into a good political project that will prepare the country for future challenges, including military ones, which will certainly still come