What's behind the Ukrainian intelligence gunfight
A shootout between Ukraine’s two most powerful intelligence services left three military intelligence officers wounded on Wednesday. The gun battle in a Kyiv residential neighborhood brought a long-running feud into public view.
TL;DR
- A shootout occurred between Ukraine's SBU and HUR intelligence services, wounding three HUR officers.
- The confrontation began when HUR personnel tried to retrieve an officer detained by the SBU.
- The detained officer, Stepan Kaplunov, is deputy commander in the Russian Volunteer Corps, fighting for Ukraine.
- Both agencies offered conflicting accounts of the incident, with the SBU citing an investigation into a potential terrorist attack and HUR members attempting to prevent a search.
- President Zelensky called the incident "absolutely shameful" and ordered an investigation, emphasizing that only shooting at Russian occupiers is permissible.
- The event highlights deep institutional rivalries, particularly between SBU acting chief Oleksandr Poklad and former HUR chief Kyrylo Budanov.
- This incident echoes past failures in coordination between agencies, such as the 2022 killing of HUR operative Denys Kireyev.
- The competition between the SBU and HUR, while sometimes productive for wartime operations, carries risks of disruption due to their significant powers and resources.