Shootout Between Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorates Leaves Three Officers Wounded
A gunfight between the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) and the State Security Service (SBU) in Kyiv injured three security officials, prompting President Zelenskyy to order investigations and personnel changes.
A confrontation between Ukraine's two principal intelligence agencies erupted on Wednesday morning in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district, leaving at least three security officers wounded. The clash occurred after the State Security Service (SBU) detained Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit linked to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR).
The Prosecutor General's Office said SBU officers were acting on orders to prevent a suspected terrorist act by Russia's Federal Security Service. During a search, a group identified as part of HUR's forces opened fire on the SBU team, according to official statements. HUR's special unit commander, known as "Timur," accused the SBU of kidnapping Kaplunov in broad daylight and of initiating the shooting.
Kaplunov, a Russian citizen who moved to Ukraine after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and later joined the volunteer corps fighting Russia, claimed he was abducted and interrogated over alleged contacts with the FSB. A lawyer for Kaplunov reported that one HUR officer was hospitalized with a leg wound, a second remained in serious condition, and a third sustained minor injuries.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the incident as "absolutely disgraceful" and said he had spoken with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko, who is overseeing the investigation. He called for accountability, including possible personnel decisions by the heads of the security services, and emphasized that gunfire should be reserved for combat with Russian forces. Following the episode, Zelenskyy dismissed Oleg Khramov, head of the SBU's Department for the Protection of State Secrets.
Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office and former HUR member, urged a thorough and impartial inquiry, stating that no one has the right to kidnap servicemen or open fire in the streets. The shootout comes amid a broader reshuffle of Ukraine's security leadership, including recent changes to the heads of the SBU, HUR, and the armed forces, aimed at tightening coordination across security institutions during the ongoing war with Russia.