Archive · 4 Sep 2026
Zelenskyy Condemns Kyiv Shootout Between Ukraine’s Security Agencies
Two Ukrainian security groups, called the SBU and HUR, had a gunfight in Kyiv.
Three HUR officers were reportedly hurt.
President Zelenskyy said the shooting was “absolutely shameful.”
He said guns should be used in Ukraine only to defend the country against Russian occupiers.
He asked investigators to find out what happened and removed a senior SBU official.
The SBU said it was investigating a suspected Russian plot.
A HUR commander said SBU officers instead detained HUR personnel and started shooting without warning.
Reports connected the disagreement to the disappearance of Stepan Kaplunov, but the exact cause remains disputed.
A shootout involving Ukraine’s SBU and HUR security agencies in Kyiv reportedly injured three HUR officers.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the clash “absolutely shameful” and ordered an investigation into what caused it.
Zelenskyy dismissed Oleh Khramov, head of the SBU department for protecting state secrets, and said both agencies could face accountability.
The SBU said it was stopping a Moscow-inspired plot against Russian opposition activists, but a HUR commander accused SBU personnel of detaining HUR members and firing without warning.
Reports linked the dispute to the disappearance and alleged detention of Stepan Kaplunov, a Russian Volunteer Corps deputy commander fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.
- Who
- Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU), Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Stepan Kaplunov were central to the reports.
- What
- A dispute between the SBU and HUR escalated into a Kyiv shootout that reportedly injured three HUR officers.
- When
- The clash occurred earlier that week; reports variously describe it as occurring Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Reuters published its account on September 3.
- Where
- Central Kyiv, Ukraine, including the area near Kaplunov’s home.
- Why
- The SBU said it was preventing a Moscow-inspired plot against Russian anti-Kremlin activists, while HUR-linked accounts said the SBU was detaining its personnel and opened fire without warning.
SBU account
HUR-linked account
Purpose of the operation
SBU account
The SBU said it was working to prevent a Russian or Moscow-inspired terrorist plot against Russian opposition or anti-Kremlin activists in Kyiv.
HUR-linked account
A HUR commander said the confrontation involved SBU personnel detaining HUR members rather than a legitimate plot-prevention operation.
How the shooting began
SBU account
The SBU said its officers came under attack while investigating the alleged plot and later said a group tried to block a search.
HUR-linked account
The HUR commander said he had reached an agreement with an SBU unit commander, but other SBU personnel opened fire without warning.
Kaplunov’s disappearance
SBU account
Reports said the SBU took or detained Stepan Kaplunov during an operation connected to the dispute.
HUR-linked account
Kaplunov’s lawyer described him as abducted, while Russian Volunteer Corps commander Denis Nikitin said the SBU found nothing compromising in his apartment.
- Location
- Central Kyiv, Ukraine
- Agencies involved
- Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) and Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR)
- Reported injuries
- Three HUR officers
- Presidential response
- Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the incident “absolutely shameful”
- Dismissed official
- Oleh Khramov, head of the SBU department for protecting state secrets
- SBU explanation
- The agency said it was preventing a Moscow-inspired plot to assassinate Russian anti-Kremlin activists in Kyiv
- Investigation status
- Two servicemen were issued notices of suspicion, and an internal investigation was announced
