Zelenskyy calls incident ‘absolutely disgraceful’ as SBU and HUR exchange fire amid dispute over detained Russian volunteer fighting for Kyiv.
A shootout between Ukraine’s two leading intelligence agencies left at least three officers wounded in Kyiv early on Wednesday, exposing deep internal tensions within the country’s security apparatus as the war with Russia continues.
The confrontation took place in the capital’s Dniprovskyi district, specifically in a residential area of the Berezniaky neighbourhood on Yurii Shumskyi Street. Officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the domestic intelligence and counterterrorism agency, exchanged fire with personnel from the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR, also known as GUR), the military intelligence service under the Defence Ministry.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident in strong terms, describing it as “an absolutely disgraceful situation.” In his evening address, he stressed: “Here in Ukraine, the only permissible use of firearms is against Russian occupiers in defence of the country. Our state will never tolerate any other kind of shootout as something permissible.” Zelenskyy ordered a full investigation by prosecutors and the State Bureau of Investigation. Hours after the clash, he dismissed Oleh Khramov, the head of the SBU’s department for the protection of state secrets.
Deadly Standoff Between Ukrainian Agencies:
The SBU said its officers were conducting urgent investigative actions related to a suspected “terrorist act” organised by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB). According to the agency, a group of individuals launched an armed attack on its operational-investigative team during a search at one address. The SBU stated that it used weapons to stop the resistance, detained members of a Ukrainian defence forces unit, and seized weapons and documents. It later acknowledged that the shootout “definitely shouldn’t have happened” and said it was cooperating with investigators.
HUR accounts and those of associates differ sharply. The clash centred on Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC or RDK), a unit of Russian nationals fighting on Ukraine’s side that operates under HUR oversight. RVC representatives said Kaplunov had been abducted by unknown individuals from outside his home days earlier. His lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, and HUR sources alleged that SBU officers detained Kaplunov without proper process, held him, and later brought him back to an apartment for a search. HUR personnel arrived to intervene, leading to a prolonged standoff. A HUR commander claimed SBU officers opened fire on unarmed or non-resisting HUR personnel despite prior agreements to stand down. Three HUR officers were wounded-one with a severed artery in the leg, another seriously injured, and a third with lighter wounds. Kaplunov was later released.
Video shows armed personnel in the area, heightened tensions, and the aftermath, including blood traces and emergency responses. Residents reported hearing gunfire that woke them in the early morning hours.
Rivalry Deepens Between SBU and HUR:
The incident highlights longstanding rivalries between the SBU and HUR, two powerful agencies that have expanded their roles and influence during more than four years of full-scale war with Russia. Both conduct sensitive operations, including counterintelligence, special forces missions, and work with foreign fighters and Russian defectors. Competition over resources, authority, and operational control has periodically strained relations.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office opened a criminal probe. Parliament has summoned the chiefs of both agencies for closed hearings. The clash occurred as Kyiv faced ongoing Russian drone attacks, adding to the sense of internal strain at a critical time for Ukraine’s war effort.
Investigators continue to examine who fired first and the precise sequence of events. The episode has drawn widespread criticism inside Ukraine for the spectacle of security services turning weapons on each other while the country remains at war.