Zelensky criticizes Ukrainian spy agencies after gunfight during operation against Russian plot

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized the country's two main intelligence agencies for engaging in a gunfight in Kyiv while attempting to thwart a Russian terrorist plot. The incident occurred on Wednesday when members of Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) clashed with agents from the Defence Intelligence Unit (DIU), resulting in injuries to three officers, according to a report by Pravda. Zelensky expressed his disapproval, calling the situation 'absolutely disgraceful' and emphasized the need for accountability and internal investigations within both agencies. He stated, 'Here in Ukraine, the only permissible use of firearms is against Russian occupiers in defense of the country.' The SBU reported that its officers were attacked while trying to prevent a terrorist act allegedly orchestrated by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB). They claimed that the DIU agents obstructed their investigation and blocked their path with vehicles. Following the confrontation, it was revealed that the individuals involved were part of a unit within Ukraine's defense forces, and weapons and documents were confiscated. One DIU agent sustained a severe injury, suffering a severed artery in his leg, while another officer was seriously injured and a third had a less serious injury. The SBU stated that the ambush occurred while they were attempting to foil a plot to assassinate Stepan Kaplunov, the deputy commander of the anti-Kremlin Russian Volunteer Corps. However, Kaplunov's lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, dismissed the SBU's claims as a 'PR stunt,' asserting that Kaplunov had been abducted by unknown individuals. Kaplunov, who has a history of military service in Russia and has been fighting for Ukraine since 2014, is listed on Russia's terrorist and extremist register. Following the incident, Zelensky dismissed Oleh Khramov, a SBU official responsible for the Department for the Protection of State Secrets since March 2023, although it remains unclear if there is a connection between the dismissal and the gunfight.