MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Replacing the head of Ukraine's military intelligence Kirill Budanov and the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian military Valery Zaluzhny would not affect the tasks of the special military operation, Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin, who is also chairman of the Russian Historical Society, said on Friday.

"It seems to me that reporters’ interest in the fate of Zaluzhny and Budanov is overblown," Naryshkin pointed out, "Regardless of the state of health of both of them, even if someone else takes over one or the other post, this will by no means affect the tactical and strategic tasks of the special military operation."

Reports of Budanov being seriously wounded have been circulating in the media and social networks since late May. At the same time, the Ukrainian authorities said that during this time they had heard numerous reports from him at a meeting of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's headquarters. On June 20, Budanov appeared live on Ukrainian television for the first time since rumors of his serious injury, saying he was fine.

In May, there were also media reports claiming Zaluzhny had been seriously injured, but the Ukrainian Defense Ministry denied them. On June 19, the commander-in-chief released a video of himself inspecting the work of Ukrainian military groups on the front line. Earlier, on June 13, Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted during a conversation with military correspondents that Zaluzhny could be abroad. The head of state added that it would be possible to ask the Ukrainian commander-in-chief himself, "but you would have to switch to a foreign language." At the same time, Putin admitted that he "could be wrong."