Zelensky Demands Accountability Following ‘Absolutely Disgraceful’ SBU-HUR Shootout in Kyiv

President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered a full investigation and demanded accountability following a shootout in Kyiv between the personnel of Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s Military Intelligence (HUR).In a statement issued on Wednesday, Sept. 2, Zelensky said that he had spoken with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. The Prosecutor General’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation (DBR) will examine testimony and statements from all individuals linked to the shootout, reconstructing the events step by step.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.“There must be accountability, including personnel decisions by the heads of the special services regarding those involved in what happened,” Zelensky said.“Internal investigations must also be conducted within both services,” he continued.What is knownThe shooting occurred on Yuriya Shumskoho Street in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi district on Wednesday morning. Authorities later blocked the area as investigators examined the incident.The Prosecutor General’s Office said SBU officers had been carrying out actions intended to prevent an unspecified terrorist act allegedly prepared by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).During the search, an armed group allegedly attacked the SBU’s operational-investigative team, obstructed the officers’ passage with vehicles and attempted to stop the investigation.The prosecutor’s office said the SBU’s special Alpha unit was deployed, with the attackers later detained. It described them as members of one of Ukraine’s Defense Forces units, while media reports identified the personnel involved as belonging to HUR. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Seeks Billions From EU for Patriot Missiles EU member states are reviewing Kyiv’s request to use part of a €90 billion loan for PAC-3 interceptors and other air defense needs. Three HUR personnel were reportedly injured during the confrontation.Possible link to RDKSeveral Ukrainian media outlets, including Ukrainska Pravda, reported that the incident may be connected to the disappearance of Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) – a unit made up of Russian nationals fighting for Ukraine against Moscow.Earlier on Wednesday morning, the SBU said it had worked with HUR to thwart an attack prepared by Russia’s FSB against a Russian opposition leader who had arrived in Ukraine for Independence Day. However, neither agency publicly identified the intended target or confirmed that it was indeed Kaplunov.Meanwhile, the RDK reportedly said Kaplunov had disappeared near his home several days earlier and that it had reported his disappearance to Ukrainian law enforcement bodies, including the SBU and HUR.Ukrainska Pravda separately reported that Kaplunov’s lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, said the serviceman had been released, though his whereabouts remain unknown.Investigation and accountabilityKyrylo Budanov, head of the Presidential Office and former HUR chief, called for a thorough investigation.“It is important to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, but no one has the right to kidnap servicemen with impunity, open fire on the streets of our cities, give and carry out criminal orders,” Budanov told RBC-Ukraine.Additionally, Zelensky signed a decree dismissing Oleh Khramov – head of the SBU’s Department for State Secrets Protection and Licensing, according to Ukrainska Pravda. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.