Two of Ukraine's special forces units clashed with each other in a dramatic downtown Kyiv shootout

On Tuesday, a shootout erupted between two special forces units operating under Ukraine's intelligence and security agencies in central Kyiv. The intense confrontation, involving the country's military intelligence directorate, GUR, and the Security Service of Ukraine, or SBU, left at least three officers wounded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the incident, stating it was an "absolutely shameful situation" that would not be tolerated in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy emphasized that the only acceptable use of force in Ukraine is against Russian occupiers to protect the nation. The SBU reported that the gunfight occurred while it was investigating a possible Kremlin operation against a Russian dissident. The agents were conducting an urgent investigative action and collecting evidence when they encountered opposition from armed individuals who blocked their officers and vehicles.

The SBU called in its Alpha special forces unit to intervene. The dispute centered on the arrest of Stepan Kaplunov, the deputy commander of a Russian volunteer unit fighting for Ukraine under GUR's Timur special forces. Kaplunov claimed he was detained by the SBU under suspicion of contacting Russia's Federal Security Service, a claim he later denied.

The Russian volunteer force confirmed Kaplunov's abductors were unknown, and he was held for days. Video footage showed the violent clash between the two Ukrainian forces, with gunshots heard as one group raised their firearms and detained members of the other. Both GUR and the SBU declined to comment on the incident outside regular business hours.

Zelenskyy called for a thorough investigation, including internal probes within both services, and stressed the need for accountability among those involved.