A PodDisruptionBudget only constrains the eviction subresource.

The core pod delete path never consults it

Delete a PDB-protected pod directly with delete on pods.

The API server removes it without checking the budget

This defeats a control that blocks kubectl drain, cluster autoscaler consolidation, and node upgrades from disrupting the pod

Same end state as an allowed eviction but reachable when eviction is refused.

It also forces recreation, pairing with template-poisoning that only lands on pod replacement