Zelenskyy to Dismiss Deputy Heads of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the dismissal of the deputy heads of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) following a conflict between employees of the two law enforcement agencies in Kyiv. Firearms were used during the incident, and two of those involved have already been notified of charges against them.
On September 3, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced personnel decisions within the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense following a shooting in Kyiv. The conflict occurred between personnel from the two agencies, and firearms were used during the incident.
According to Zelenskyy, he discussed the situation with Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko. Law enforcement officials have already notified two individuals involved in the incident—one SBU employee and one GUR employee—that they are under suspicion.
The president emphasized that the investigation will not be limited to the actions of those directly involved in the conflict. “All other circumstances surrounding what happened are being examined, starting from the very first day of this entire incident. It is important that the truth comes out—and that such situations do not happen again,” Zelenskyy said.
The actions of the leadership will be reviewed
Separately, the president stated that the actions of the leadership of both agencies will be evaluated based on the results of the internal investigation. The goal is to establish not only the circumstances of the shooting itself, but also how the leadership of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate responded to the conflict and whether any mistakes were made.
Zelenskyy announced that personnel decisions regarding both agencies have already been made. “The deputy heads who are responsible for this situation will be dismissed. This is entirely fair: both agencies must be held accountable; both agencies acted in a way that should never have happened,” the president said.
Thus, responsibility will not be limited to those employees who were directly involved in the conflict. Personnel changes will also affect officials responsible for the relevant areas of work within the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR).
Two participants have already been notified of the charges
At the same time, a criminal investigation into the incident itself is ongoing. According to Zelenskyy, two individuals—SBU and GUR employees who were involved in the events—have already been notified of the charges against them.
At the same time, the president emphasized the need to examine all the circumstances of the conflict. This means that the investigation must determine how it all began, who used weapons and under what circumstances, and whether there could have been other causes or participants in the incident. The final legal assessment of the actions of those who have been notified of the charges must be made by law enforcement agencies and the court. Therefore, at this stage, we are talking specifically about suspicions, not proven guilt.
Why Zelenskyy Announced the Dismissals
The president explained the personnel decisions as necessitated by the need to hold those responsible for what happened. According to him, both agencies must bear responsibility for the situation, since a conflict involving the use of weapons between their employees is unacceptable. “Both agencies must be held accountable; both agencies acted in a way that should never have happened,” Zelensky emphasized.
He also stated that the main task now is to establish the truth and prevent similar situations from recurring in the future. That is why an internal investigation is being conducted in parallel with the criminal proceedings.
What’s Next
Law enforcement agencies must now establish all the details of the conflict and assess the actions of those involved. Separately, an internal investigation must be completed, the results of which will be used to evaluate the actions of the leadership of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate. It is already known that the deputy heads of these agencies, who are responsible for the relevant areas, will be dismissed.
Thus, the shooting incident in Kyiv will have not only criminal but also personnel consequences. The president has explicitly stated that such behavior between employees of two Ukrainian security agencies is unacceptable. However, the investigation has yet to reach final conclusions regarding all the circumstances of the incident. Currently, there are two known suspects, and personnel decisions regarding the deputy heads of the SBU and the Main Intelligence Directorate are expected. Zelenskyy announced this on September 3.
Information about a possible shooting in Kyiv is circulating on social media. According to eyewitness reports, representatives of law enforcement agencies were spotted at the scene.
