After Kyiv security officials’ shootout, Zelenskyy orders personnel changes

Ukraine will dismiss deputy heads of its domestic security service and military intelligence agency after a shootout in Kyiv involving officials from both structures, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Zelenskyy said he had spoken with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko about the case involving the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defence Ministry, or GUR. Law enforcement has already charged two people and is checking the circumstances from the beginning of the incident.

The president said the actions of both services’ leaders would be properly assessed once the internal investigation ends. “Personnel decisions have already been made regarding both structures. The deputy heads responsible for this situation will be dismissed. It is entirely right that both structures should bear responsibility,” Zelenskyy said.

He added that the conduct of both services had been unacceptable and stressed the need to establish the truth so that similar incidents would not happen again. The case emerged after reports circulated on Sept. 2 about a shootout in Kyiv involving security officials. Investigators later announced suspicions against a GUR serviceman and an SBU officer. Authorities are also examining the disappearance of Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps.

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Personnel decisions have already been made regarding both structures. The deputy heads responsible for this situation will be dismissed. It is entirely right that both structures should bear responsibility.