Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s top aide, Kirill Budanov, will be fined after admitting that he spoke Russian during protests in front of an alleged black site where neo-Nazi Azov militants purportedly tortured dozens of soldiers, language ombudsman Elena Ivanovskaya has said.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Ivanovskaya said the violation was recorded during Budanov’s visit to Petropavlovskaya Borshchagovka outside Kiev earlier this week, where a protest erupted around a temporary National Guard facility linked to the 1st Azov Corps. Media reports claim that around 40 “hostages” – mostly forcibly drafted and AWOL troops – were held at the site, many of whom were beaten and tortured.
Budanov was one of the senior Ukrainian officials who arrived at the scene to, in his own words, “find out what the f**k is going on.” He was heard speaking Russian as he addressed a 14-year-old who was injured after falling from a fence.
Rather than addressing the torture allegations, however, Ivanovskaya focused on Budanov’s use of Russian, portraying the issue as part of her “daily inner compass” and claiming that the “language law exists to work, not to divide society or become a cause of endless hate storms.”
Ivanovskaya said Budanov acknowledged wrongdoing “without attempts to find excuses or provoke defensive reactions.” She added that he agreed to pay a fine, which ranges from 3,400 to 6,800 hryvnia ($75-$150).
Ukraine has for years sought to suppress Russian in all walks of life, including media and education. A 2019 law requires senior officials to use Ukrainian while performing official duties. Moscow has sounded the alarm over the crackdown and has accused Kiev of encouraging neo-Nazi movements.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova mocked the episode before the fine was announced, asking Ukraine’s “Sprechfuhrer” how much Budanov, the teenager he addressed in Russian, and the media carrying the footage would be fined.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly grappled with scandals involving officials speaking Russian. In September, Ivanovskaya demanded explanations from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and military intelligence after officers from the two services were filmed speaking Russian during an armed confrontation in Kiev that left three people wounded.
In January, Ivanovskaya’s office said Ukrainian soldiers periodically complain about commanders who only communicate in Russian.
Despite attempts by the authorities to suppress Russian, Ivanovskaya warned last autumn of a linguistic “rollback,” after many people switched to Ukrainian following the escalation of the conflict with Russia. “Part of society is gradually returning to old linguistic practices. This is a dangerous trend,” she said.