SBU General Yagun commented on the shootout between the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate in Kyiv
It is still too early to speak of a “war between intelligence agencies” between the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) following the nighttime shooting in Kyiv. This opinion was expressed by Viktor Yagun, a major general (reserve) of the SBU and an expert on national security.
On the night of September 2, a shootout involving law enforcement officers took place in the Bereznyaky district.
According to the investigation, GUR officers carried out an armed attack on SBU personnel while conducting operational activities.
As a result of the incident, two Security Service officers sustained gunshot wounds.
The State Bureau of Investigations is investigating the criminal case under the procedural supervision of the Office of the Prosecutor General. Investigators must establish all the circumstances of the incident and provide a legal assessment of the actions of those involved.
At the same time, many versions of the incident have emerged, including claims of an alleged armed confrontation between the SBU and the GUR. There is currently no official confirmation that the two special services engaged in a full-scale armed conflict.
According to Viktor Yagun, the fact that a nighttime incident occurred and shots were fired has been established, but its causes and the interactions between the participants require a separate investigation.
The expert emphasizes that one should not, without evidence, label the event as a civil war between Ukrainian special services.
“The enemy doesn’t even necessarily have to create such a crisis,” says Yagun. “Sometimes it’s enough to simply exploit it at the right moment.”
He believes that the situation cannot be explained by just one version of events. In particular, the SBU’s statement about thwarting a terrorist attack—which, according to the security service, was being prepared by the FSB—does not in itself explain the circumstances of the nighttime shooting.
Yagun emphasized that the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) perform different functions, but their common enemy is Russia.
“The SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate have different functions, but they share a single enemy,” Yagun concluded. “Ukrainian intelligence agencies must fight the enemy, not each other.”
According to him, any real internal conflict, coordination problems, or even the public illusion of a confrontation could benefit Russian intelligence agencies.
Yagun also warned against a situation where unconfirmed theories begin to replace established facts.
Various speculations are already circulating regarding the causes of the shooting, those involved, and a possible connection to an operation against the FSB. At the same time, official authorities have yet to determine exactly what happened that night and whether the participants’ actions were coordinated.
Thus, it is premature to speak of a “war between intelligence agencies” at this time, and final conclusions must be based on the results of the investigation.
A video of the conflict involving gunfire between employees of the Security Service of Ukraine and the Main Intelligence Directorate in Kyiv is circulating online. The released footage shows a verbal altercation and shoving match between those involved in the incident, which later escalated into SBU special forces firing at GUR operatives.
As a reminder, a shooting occurred in Kyiv, and security forces were spotted at the scene.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the shooting incident between representatives of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate in Kyiv “absolutely shameful” and ordered a full investigation into the circumstances of the incident.
