Major blunder in Kyiv: Operation against Russia’s FSB ends in gunfight between Ukrainian agents

An operation intended to stop an alleged Russian intelligence plot ended with Ukrainian agents shooting at one another in a Kyiv street. A failure of coordination between the Security Service of Ukraine, known as the SBU, and military intelligence, the GUR, turned the operation into an unprecedented embarrassment for the Ukrainian state.

The Russian FSB was allegedly planning to abduct or kill a prominent Russian dissident living in Ukraine. SBU officers intervened to stop the operation, but GUR personnel were also at the scene without prior notification. The lack of communication led to an exchange of gunfire.

The SBU said it was investigating an alleged terrorist plot against a member of the Russian opposition. The Kyiv Independent, citing a source in Ukraine’s armed forces, identified the target as Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a paramilitary unit fighting alongside the Ukrainian army and associated with the GUR. The GUR said on Telegram that Kaplunov had been abducted by “unknown” people from the courtyard of his home.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the situation completely disgraceful for the state and ordered immediate internal checks at both intelligence agencies. He warned the SBU and GUR leadership that those responsible could face immediate dismissals. In a Telegram message, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukrainian weapons must be directed only at Russians.

The incident has also revived scrutiny of the agencies’ longstanding rivalry. Their responsibilities frequently overlap during the war. The SBU traditionally focuses on internal security and domestic counterintelligence, while the GUR conducts high-risk sabotage operations behind enemy lines. A previous and better-known dispute involved intelligence official Denys Kireiev, who was killed by SBU agents in March 2022 after being accused of being a double agent. GUR chief Kyrylo Budanov later said Kireiev’s information from Russia had helped Ukraine defend Antonov Airport and that Kyiv might otherwise have fallen to Russian forces.

“

unknown