Washington DC: Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency William Burns stated on Saturday that Yevgeny Prigozhin's armed uprising had demonstrated the destructive impact of President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine on Russia.

Burns, a former US ambassador to Moscow, made the observation in a speech to the Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, England. "It is striking that Prigozhin preceded his actions with a scathing indictment of the Kremlin's mendacious rationale for the invasion of Ukraine and of the Russian military leadership's conduct of the war," Burns said.

The effects of those statements and deeds "will be felt for some time to come, serving as a stark reminder of the destructive impact of Putin's war on his own society and regime."

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Burns described the uprising as a "armed challenge to the Russian state" but added that it was a "internal Russian affair in which the United States has had and will have no part."

Burns added on Saturday that his agency would not waste the once-in-a-generation opportunity to recruit spies presented by Russian discontent with the Ukraine war.

Burns, a former US ambassador to Moscow, said in a speech to the Ditchley Foundation in Oxfordshire, England, "Disaffection with the war will continue to gnaw away at the Russian leadership beneath the steady diet of state propaganda and practised repression."

"As a human intelligence service at our core, the CIA has a once-in-a-generation opportunity because of this disaffection. We are not going to let it go to waste.

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A US official confirmed to AFP on Friday that Burns recently visited Ukraine where he met with intelligence colleagues and President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The trip—which was unreported at the time—occurs as the brigades of Kyiv pursue a counteroffensive against Russian forces in their country's east and south, which was launched earlier this month after weeks of buildup.

Burns reiterated during his visit "the US commitment to sharing intelligence to help Ukraine defend against Russian aggression," the US official said.

The Washington Post, which broke the news of the visit, claims that Ukrainian officials discussed their plans to reclaim Russian-occupied territory and start ceasefire talks by the end of the year.

Burns "travelled to Ukraine as he has done regularly since the beginning of Russia's recent aggression more than a year ago," the US official stated. According to The Post, the visit took place in June.

According to the official, the journey took place before Yevgeny Prigozhin, the commander of the Wagner private military company, launched a 24-hour uprising.

The mutiny, which many believed to be the biggest challenge to Kremlin authority in decades, "was not a topic of discussion," the official continued.

The US has made an effort to convince Russia that it had no part in the uprising. According to major US media, Burns called Sergei Naryshkin, the head of Russia's SVR foreign intelligence service, after the uprising to make this point.

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According to Valery Zaluzhny, the chief of the Ukrainian military, the lack of adequate firepower, such as modern fighter jets and artillery ammunition, is impeding his nation's counteroffensive plans.

The US announced a new $500 million arms package on Tuesday, including armoured vehicles, precision munitions, and mine-clearing gear, to support the counteroffensive.