Zelenskyy Condemns Kyiv Spy Agency Shootout as ‘Shameful’

By Benson Daniel

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has condemned an armed confrontation between two of the country’s most powerful security agencies in Kyiv, describing the incident as “absolutely shameful” as authorities moved to investigate how Ukrainian forces ended up exchanging gunfire with one another.

The clash on Wednesday involved officers from the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, and the country’s military intelligence agency, HUR. Three HUR officers were reportedly wounded in the shooting, which took place in a residential area of the capital.

Zelenskyy said Ukrainian weapons should be directed against Russian forces rather than personnel from within the country’s own defence and security structure.

He ordered the prosecutor general and investigators to establish what led to the confrontation and demanded accountability from those found responsible.

The incident appears to have emerged from an operation involving Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a Russian anti-Kremlin formation fighting alongside Ukrainian forces.

According to accounts surrounding the incident, the SBU had detained Kaplunov as part of an investigation into an alleged Russian intelligence operation. HUR personnel subsequently became involved when SBU officers attempted to search a location connected to the case, with the disagreement escalating into an armed confrontation.

The precise sequence of events remains disputed.

The SBU has said its operation was linked to an alleged Russian plot targeting a Russian opposition figure and that its officers encountered resistance from personnel associated with HUR. HUR linked personnel, however, have accused the SBU of opening fire on its officers and have described the detention of Kaplunov as a kidnapping.

The competing accounts are now expected to form part of the investigation ordered by Zelenskyy.

The president also dismissed Oleh Khramov, a senior SBU official responsible for protecting state secrets. It was not immediately clear whether the personnel decision was directly connected to the shootout or formed part of wider changes within the security service.

The confrontation has drawn particular attention because both agencies have played central roles in Ukraine’s war against Russia.

The SBU is responsible for domestic security and counterintelligence, while HUR operates under Ukraine’s defence structure and has become heavily involved in intelligence gathering and special operations against Russian forces.

Their rivalry is not entirely new, but an open exchange of gunfire between serving personnel represents an unusually serious breakdown in coordination.

The timing has also raised concerns. Ukraine is facing sustained Russian missile and drone attacks, with Kyiv experiencing repeated air raid alerts and strikes in recent days. Any internal dispute involving armed security units risks diverting attention and resources from the wider war effort.

The confrontation also comes amid wider changes within Ukraine’s security establishment and continuing pressure on the government to maintain discipline and coordination among agencies operating during wartime.

For Zelenskyy, the immediate priority is to establish responsibility and prevent a repeat.

He has called for internal investigations by the agencies involved, alongside a broader examination by state investigators. The SBU has also acknowledged that the confrontation should not have occurred and said it would cooperate with the investigation.

The episode has exposed tensions that Ukrainian officials will now have to manage carefully. With the war against Russia still placing enormous demands on the country’s intelligence and security services, an internal gunfight between allied agencies risks undermining confidence at precisely the moment Kyiv needs its security institutions working together.

For now, the circumstances surrounding the shooting remain under investigation, while the government faces pressure to determine how an operation intended to counter a suspected Russian threat escalated into violence between Ukrainian personnel.