--- title: "Third 'anniversary': Russian court issues third in absentia arrest order for Kyrylo Budanov" description: "A Russian court for the third time issued an in absentia arrest order against Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President, on charges of \"using prohibited methods of waging war.\" He himself called the decision absurd and a sign of the enemy's panic." date: 2026-09-09T16:14:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/budanov-third-in-absentia-arrest-russia tags: [kyrylo-budanov, russia-ukraine, remote-arrest, office-of-the-president, war-crimes-accusation] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Third 'anniversary': Russian court issues third in absentia arrest order for Kyrylo Budanov ![Kyrylo Budanov, head of GUR, in the context of his third in absentia arrest by a Russian court](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/09/budanov-tretiy-zaochnyy-arest-v-rossii/budanov-tretiy-zaochnyy-arest-v-rossii-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - A Russian court for the third time issued an in absentia arrest order for Kyrylo Budanov, accusing him of "using prohibited means and methods of waging war." - Budanov called the decision his "third anniversary" arrest and stated that it has no significance for him, but only confirms the enemy's panic. - Earlier, in April and at the end of 2023, Moscow courts had already twice issued in absentia arrest orders against him in cases on "terrorism" and alleged involvement in drone attacks. A Russian court has issued yet another — the third in a row — in absentia arrest order against Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing Budanov's own statement and TASS reports, a case has allegedly been opened against him on charges of "using prohibited means and methods of waging war." The Ukrainian side emphasizes that such rulings by the occupation courts have no legal force, either for the person named or for the international community. ### 'Third anniversary': Budanov's reaction Budanov himself reacted to the decision with irony, calling it his "third anniversary" arrest. In his statement, he stressed that the rulings of the so-called Russian "court" have no significance for him or for the rest of humanity. "The only thing that matters is my work, which forces the enemy to panic and produce such masterpieces of absurdity. I consider such actions by the enemy a sort of acknowledgment of effectiveness. Well, we can't lower the bar — I will continue to work just as productively," stated the Head of the Office of the President. ### Chronology of the in absentia arrests According to available data, this is already the third in absentia arrest of Budanov in Russia. In April 2023, the Lefortovo Court of Moscow adopted a similar decision when a case was opened against him under the article on "terrorism." At the end of 2023, the Basmanny Court of Moscow for the second time issued an in absentia arrest order for Budanov, claiming his alleged involvement in more than 100 drone attacks on the territory of the aggressor state. Now, according to Russian media reports, the court allegedly rejected the "defense's appeal" filed by Budanov. ### Contradictory data Russian reports contain a number of inconsistencies. In particular, it is stated that the court "rejected the defense's appeal" of Budanov, while propaganda sources do not specify who exactly is acting as the "defense" for the Ukrainian official, who is at liberty in Ukraine, or what the basis for this appeal was. Moreover, the wording varies: some outlets write of an "in absentia arrest," others — of an issued "arrest warrant." The Ukrainian side rejects the very legitimacy of such procedures, considering them an instrument of propaganda rather than justice. ### Context: the practice of in absentia cases The decision on Budanov fits into a broader practice of in absentia "judicial" acts, which, according to Kyiv's assessment, are used as a propaganda tool. Recently, an occupation court on the occupied territory of the Zaporizhzhia region sentenced Ukrainian journalist Iryna Levchenko to 15 years in prison on charges of alleged espionage. A Russian court also issued an in absentia arrest order for Conor Kennedy — the great-nephew of the 35th President of the United States, John Kennedy — accusing him of mercenarism through his participation in the war on the side of Ukraine. ## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification - [Budanov mocks his 'anniversary' arrest in Russia](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/budanov-vismiyav-sviy-yuvileyniy-aresht-rosiyi-1788969738.html) - Основной источник: заявление Буданова, формулировка «третий юбилейный» арест, обвинение в запрещённых методах ведения войны. - ["We can't lower the bar": Budanov mocks his third 'arrest' in Russia](https://society.comments.ua/news/warrussia/planku-opuskat-nelzya-budanov-vysmeyal-svoy-tretiy-arest-v-rossii-815788.html) - Подтверждает цитату Буданова и факт третьего заочного ареста. - [Russia issues third arrest warrant for Budanov: what is keeping the occupiers up at night](https://tsn.ua/ru/ukrayina/rossiya-v-tretiy-raz-vydala-order-na-arest-budanova-chto-ne-daet-pokoya-okkupantam-3165341.html) - Формулировка «ордер на арест», контекст практики заочных дел. - [Russian court approves third in absentia arrest of former HUR head Kyrylo Budanov](https://news.rambler.ru/incidents/57039669-sud-v-rf-utverdil-tretiy-po-schetu-zaochnyy-arest-eks-glavy-gur-kirilla-budanova/) - Уточняет статус Буданова как экс-главы ГУР; фиксирует третий заочный арест. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly is Budanov being charged with in Russia? **A:** According to Russian media reports, he is accused of "using prohibited means and methods of waging war." The Ukrainian side rejects these charges and the legitimacy of the court itself. ### Q: How many times has Budanov been arrested in absentia in Russia? **A:** This is the third in absentia arrest. The first was in April 2023 (Lefortovo Court, "terrorism"), the second — at the end of 2023 (Basmanny Court, alleged involvement in drone attacks). ### Q: How did Budanov himself react? **A:** He called the decision his "third anniversary" arrest, stated that it has no significance for him, and interpreted it as a sign of the enemy's panic and an acknowledgment of the effectiveness of his work.