Ukrainian intel agencies in Kyiv firefight: What happened and why?

A shootout between two of Ukraine’s top intelligence agencies has wounded at least three security officials, highlighting internal divisions within Kyiv’s security establishment.

On Wednesday morning, a gunfight broke out between Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), a military arm which handles foreign intelligence, and the State Security Service (SBU), which focuses on domestic intelligence and counterterrorism activities.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the incident “an absolutely disgraceful situation”.

What’s behind the feud between SBU and HUR, and how significant is it?

According to Ukrainian media reports, the incident between Kyiv’s top intel agencies took place in the capital’s Dniprovskyi district after the SBU took Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) that fights for Ukraine, into custody. RVC is a subordinate of HUR.

Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement that SBU officers had received orders to prevent a “terrorist act” from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB).

“During a search at one of the addresses, a group of individuals carried out an armed attack on the SBU operational-investigative group,” the statement added.

“They tried to prevent the conduct of investigative actions and blocked the passage of law enforcement officers with cars,” the statement noted, adding that the attackers belonged to “one of the units of the Defense Forces of Ukraine.” According to local media reports, the attackers were part of HUR.