Budanov Visits Sofia as Radev Denies Talks With Ukraine Over Black Sea Attacks

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, Kyrylo Budanov, made an unannounced visit to Bulgaria before traveling to the United States for talks on Russia’s war in Ukraine, according to reports. Rumors of Budanov’s arrival in Sofia began circulating on social media, with unconfirmed accounts suggesting he had come on a confidential diplomatic mission lasting about 20 hours. According to the Faktor website, he arrived in the late afternoon of October 7, held several undisclosed meetings with Bulgarian officials, and then left for the United States....