Zelenskyy orders probe and personnel changes after Security Service and Defence Intelligence shootout in Kyiv

What happened

Ukrainska Pravda English reports that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has addressed a shooting incident between units of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU) in Kyiv. Zelenskyy announced that the Prosecutor General and State Bureau of Investigation will undertake a full inquiry to establish what happened, emphasizing that those responsible must be held accountable.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. In an evening address, Zelenskyy condemned the incident as “absolutely shameful,” highlighting that personnel involved will face investigations and personnel changes at the leadership of the security services. He stressed that gunfire is only justified against Russian occupiers and no other internal armed exchanges will be tolerated.

The shootout reportedly occurred on the night of 1-2 September in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi District. Information circulated online linked the incident to the reported abduction of Stepan Kaplunov, Deputy Commander for Combat Operations of the Russian Volunteer Corps, an organisation of Russians fighting for Ukraine. Kaplunov’s disappearance and the ensuing shootout remain unconfirmed and under investigation.

Known from the source

• Shooting occurred between separate units of the Security Service of Ukraine and Defence Intelligence of Ukraine in Kyiv on the night of 1-2 September.
• President Zelenskyy publicly acknowledged the incident and called for a full investigation led by the Prosecutor General and the State Bureau of Investigation.
• Three Defence Intelligence employees were reported injured in the incident by Ukrainska Pravda.
• The incident is linked in open sources to the reported abduction and release of Stepan Kaplunov, Deputy Commander in the Russian Volunteer Corps, though this link is not independently confirmed.
• Zelenskyy dismissed Oleh Khramov, a senior SSU official, on 2 September.

What remains unclear

Ukrainska Pravda states three DIU employees were injured in the conflict, and that law enforcement bodies including the State Bureau of Investigation and the SSU’s Special Operations Centre Alpha responded to the scene. The SSU indicated this was connected to foiling a terrorist threat against a Russian opposition political leader recently arrived in Ukraine, though details are still emerging.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Exact circumstances and cause of the shootout between SSU and DIU units. Verification of the number and identities of those injured in the shootout. Clarification on the connection between the shootout and Stepan Kaplunov’s abduction and release.

Evidence note

Outside Brief has kept this brief source-led and attributed. Claims should be read alongside the original source linked below.

Original source: Ukrainska Pravda English. Open the source.