Budanov backs resistance in occupied territories, warns of 'complete colonization' without it
Acts of patriotism in Russian-occupied territories are necessary to prevent "complete colonization," despite the risks, Presidential Office Head Kyrylo Budanov said at the Strategic Communications Forum (Stratcom Forum 2026) in Kyiv, hromadske’s correspondent reported.
"Any expression is a connection — a connection to identity, to the state, to history, to culture, to tradition. And it is necessary. It is risky in many cases, but it is necessary. Without it, there will simply be complete colonization," Budanov said.
He acknowledged that Russian occupation authorities have had some success in reshaping the identities of Ukrainians living under occupation, but stressed that people there are still making a conscious choice to resist.
"The category that could be called ultra-patriots — and it doesn't matter whether they are conscious patriots or those with some ultra- quality to them — always ranges from 7 to 11 percent, depending on the territory and circumstances," Budanov said. “More than 80 percent, unfortunately, are people who don't care either way. What you are describing are precisely examples of ultra-expressions of identity. The girl who used to wear an embroidered shirt but then joined Yunarmiya, and the boy who walked away from everyone and said: 'Go to hell, I'm Ukrainian.' But that's 10 percent. The other 80-plus percent — that's a somewhat different story.”
Yunarmiya, referenced in Budanov's remarks, is a Russian state-run paramilitary youth organization. hromadske has previously reported on its use as a tool for the militarization of children in occupied Ukrainian territories.