President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda has presented Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), with the Gold Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland – one of the highest state awards available to foreign nationals.

Axar.az informs, citing Ukrainian media, this information was released by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

The award was presented on behalf of the Polish president by Colonel Dominik Duda, Deputy Head of Poland’s Intelligence Agency. During the ceremony, he stressed the importance of the Polish-Ukrainian partnership in the context of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Polish officials stated that the role played by Ukraine’s military intelligence in countering Russian aggression is a key factor in ensuring the security of the entire European continent.