Ukrainian Intelligence Gunfight Raises Security Questions
Three Ukrainian military intelligence officers were wounded in an armed clash between the SBU and HUR agencies in Kyiv over custody of a detained officer, exposing deep rifts in Ukraine's security apparatus.
The armed clash between the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the military intelligence service (HUR) took place on Wednesday, according to Ani Chkhikvadze writing in Washington Examiner, who cited multiple Ukrainian intelligence sources describing the incident as the violent culmination of a long-simmering institutional rivalry.
The firefight began when HUR personnel attempted to recover one of their own officers, Stepan Kaplunov, from SBU custody. Kaplunov serves as deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a unit composed of Russian citizens fighting for Ukraine under HUR command.
According to Kaplunov’s legal representation and Ukrainian officials, SBU officers brought the detained man to an apartment used by members of his unit and attempted to conduct a search. Fellow Russian Volunteer Corps members resisted the search and called for backup. Armed personnel from both agencies subsequently converged on the building, creating a standoff that lasted through the night. Gunfire erupted around 11 p.m. and again the following morning, resulting in three HUR officers being wounded.
Intelligence Sources Describe ‘Complete Chaos’
One intelligence source told the publication that the SBU had launched an investigation into Kaplunov based on intelligence it had received. The source characterized the agencies’ failure to resolve their dispute without resorting to violence as evidence of systemic breakdown within Ukraine’s security structure, describing the situation as complete chaos.
The SBU offered a contrasting narrative, stating its officers were conducting urgent searches related to an alleged terrorist attack organized by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) when a group of armed men attempted to obstruct them. The agency said it deployed its Alpha special-forces unit and detained three individuals belonging to a Ukrainian defense formation.
Earlier that morning, the SBU had announced that it and HUR had jointly thwarted a Russian plot to assassinate a leader of a Russian opposition movement who had traveled to Ukraine. HUR briefly published a similar statement before removing it. Neither agency explained how the alleged Russian plot connected to Kaplunov or why participants in what had been presented as a joint operation later exchanged gunfire.
Presidential Rebuke and Leadership Questions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the incident as absolutely shameful and ordered an investigation. Zelensky emphasized that in Ukraine, shooting is permitted only at Russian occupiers, and any other shootout would never be perceived as acceptable.
According to a high-level source, Oleh Ivashchenko is now likely to be removed as head of HUR, though no official decision has been announced. Ivashchenko assumed leadership of the agency only in January, replacing Kyrylo Budanov when the former intelligence chief became Zelensky’s chief of staff.
The confrontation raises serious questions about Ivashchenko’s authority over units whose commanders and fighters maintain close ties to his predecessor. Sources indicated that Budanov continues to exert influence inside HUR through officers and special-forces commanders who served under him.
Institutional Rivalry Runs Deep
Among those still loyal to Budanov is Timur, commander of the HUR special-forces formation that includes the Russian Volunteer Corps. Sources described Timur as Budanov’s man, placing the unit involved in the confrontation squarely within the former intelligence chief’s continuing network.
The institutional rivalry traces back to a long-standing conflict between Budanov and Oleksandr Poklad, who has served as acting SBU chief since July. Sources told the publication that the conflict between Budanov and Poklad continues to this day, with tensions having temporarily subsided following personnel changes before this week’s incident exposed everything.
This is not the first time poor coordination between the services has resulted in bloodshed. In March 2022, SBU officers killed Denys Kireyev, a HUR operative who was part of Ukraine’s first negotiations with Russia. The SBU suspected him of treason, while HUR later honored him as an intelligence officer killed while carrying out a special assignment. Kireyev’s death was subsequently attributed to the absence of unified coordination between the agencies.
After that case returned to public attention in 2023, Budanov and then-SBU chief Vasyl Maliuk met and publicly rejected the idea of a conflict between their agencies. Both men later portrayed the competition between the services as healthy.
The latest incident suggests that characterization may have been overly optimistic, revealing dangerous institutional fractures at a time when Ukraine can least afford internal security breakdowns.
With information from Washington Examiner
