Shootout between SBU and HUR in Kyiv during investigation of Russian FSB plot

Key Points:

• A shootout occurred on Sept. 2 between Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) and military intelligence (HUR) during an investigation into an alleged Russian terrorist plot targeting Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps.
• Kaplunov had been reportedly abducted near his home following Ukraine's Independence Day celebrations, prompting the investigation that led to the armed confrontation.
• The Prosecutor General's Office stated that SBU officers were attacked by a unit of Ukraine's Defense Forces during investigative actions, resulting in the use of weapons to stop the armed resistance.
• Three people were injured in the shootout, and President Zelensky has demanded transparency, calling on the heads of both agencies to inform the public and ordered a thorough investigation.
• Violent clashes between HUR and SBU are rare but have precedent, including the 2022 killing of banker Denys Kireyev, a HUR operative suspected of treason and allegedly killed by SBU members.