# Gun battle breaks out in Kyiv between two branches of Ukraine’s own security services

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/gun-battle-breaks-out-in-kyiv-between-two-branches-of-ukraines-own-security-services/
- Published: 2026-09-02T13:07:27+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-02T13:18:40+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16098811/Gun-battle-Ukraine-Kyiv-security-services.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Europe, Geopolitics, Politics, World

## Key points

- SBU and HUR officers exchanged gunfire in Kyiv overnight
- Clash occurred during probe into alleged Russian plot
- Zelensky demands explanation; rare inter-agency tensions resurface

## Summary

A gun battle broke out between two branches of Ukraine's own security services in Kyiv in the early hours of the morning, during an investigation into an alleged Russian plot to target a Russian opposition figure. Officers from the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) exchanged fire with a unit from Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) after the SBU said its officers were attacked and blocked while carrying out the investigation. President Volodymyr Zelensky reportedly reprimanded the heads of both agencies and demanded a public explanation, while the incident has raised fresh questions about coordination between Ukraine's security bodies.

The clash occurred as the SBU probed a suspected Russian terrorist plot against Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, who was allegedly abducted from outside his home days earlier. Footage showed armed, masked men facing off at night, with gunfire audible and at least two men later seen being treated by paramedics; the area was subsequently cordoned off. Rivalry between the SBU and HUR is rare but not unprecedented, with the two agencies previously blaming each other over the unexplained 2022 killing of banker Denys Kireyev. The incident also coincided with a seventh consecutive day of Russian drone strikes on Kyiv, which wounded nine people and damaged buildings including a university.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.