Fraudsters Impersonate Budanov in Fake Emails Claiming to Be From Presidential Office

Officials say scammers are posing as senior Ukrainian officials in emails seeking support, urging recipients to verify senders. Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied This handout photograph taken and released by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Service on January 2, 2026 shows Chief of the Military Intelligence of Ukraine Kyrylo Budanov meeting with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv. (Photo by Handout / UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google Fraudsters are sending fake emails impersonating senior Ukrainian officials, including claims made in the name of the Head of the Presidential Office Kyrylo Budanov, Ukrainian authorities warned on Monday, April 20. According to the Office of the President , the emails falsely claim to come from the head of the presidential office and request “media and information support” for initiatives related to returning Ukrainian citizens home. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . One such message was received by Yurii Klyufas, head of a Ukrainian organization in Canada, officials said. The email was sent from an unofficial address hosted on a commercial email service and included a signature that does not belong to Budanov. Authorities urged recipients to carefully verify email senders and avoid trusting suspicious messages. Information about the incident has been forwarded to law enforcement agencies. Yuliia Zavadska is a news writer at Kyiv Post. She has experience in breaking news coverage, fact-checking, and digital journalism, with a focus on fast, accurate reporting and clear storytelling. Before joining Kyiv Post, she worked as a news feed editor for several leading Ukrainian media outlets.