Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the "Timur Special Unit" (RDK), publicly stated that at the end of August he was abducted from his own home by unidentified individuals who claimed to be police officers, and was held for several days at a closed facility where he was interrogated on suspicion of contacts with the Russian FSB. According to him, officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) were involved in the detention. Kaplunov told this in an interview with Radio NV, as cited by RBC-Ukraine. His statement came against the backdrop of the official version of the security services regarding the "prevention of a terrorist attack" and the shootout that took place in Kyiv in early September.
Chronology: from the attack at his home to the shootout in Bereznyaky
According to Kaplunov's version, the incident began on August 23: near his home, unidentified individuals posing as police officers attacked him, threw him to the ground, and handcuffed him without presenting any official charges. The man was then taken in an unknown direction — to what he believes was a restricted facility or a "secret prison," where he was placed in a cell and shackled with chains. Kaplunov himself and his lawyer Taras Borovskyi regard these actions as a kidnapping. The RDK, for its part, stated on September 1 that Kaplunov had disappeared from his own home several days earlier, and had sought help from the HUR, SBU, and NABU, but, according to representatives of the unit, received no clear information.
Kaplunov's version: cells, chains, and psychological pressure
According to the RDK deputy commander, during the first two days he was interrogated on charges of contacts with the FSB, with claims that he had allegedly organized a link between Russian security services and his commander. Kaplunov emphasized that no physical violence was used against him except for the abduction itself, but psychological pressure was applied: he was threatened, including with words that he could "disappear completely" and talk of "digging a grave." Due to his severe psychological state and the hopeless situation, he claims he was forced to temporarily agree to a fabricated version of communications with the FSB, but insists that nothing of the sort actually happened. After nine days of detention, he was brought back home to carry out investigative actions; while in the apartment, he heard gunfire through the window. Subsequently, he says, fighters from the "Timur Special Unit" took him away, and he is now under their guard in a safe location.
Official position of the SBU and HUR: prevention of a terrorist attack
On the morning of September 2, the SBU, together with the HUR, officially announced that they had prevented a terrorist attack that, according to their data, the Russian FSB had allegedly been preparing against a leader of the Russian opposition who had come to Ukraine for Independence Day. According to RBC-Ukraine sources, this referred specifically to Kaplunov. The SBU stated that the RDK deputy commander had allegedly been in contact with the FSB and was supposed to prepare an assassination. On the same day, videos appeared on social media showing the aftermath of a shootout in Bereznyaky at a house on Yuri Shumsky Street: police blocked traffic, and law enforcement officers were working at the scene. Kaplunov's lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, for his part, stated that his client had been kidnapped as early as August 23, and that the shootout on September 1–2 was connected to a search of Kaplunov's apartment.
Contradictory data
The versions of the parties differ significantly on key circumstances. Kaplunov and his lawyer claim that a kidnapping took place: on August 23 he was detained without charges, held for nine days at a secret facility, shackled with chains, and subjected to psychological pressure, and that there were no contacts with the FSB. The official version of the SBU and HUR, by contrast, presents the events as lawful actions to prevent a terrorist attack in which Kaplunov allegedly participated by contacting the FSB and preparing an assassination. There is also a discrepancy in the assessment of the agencies' roles: Kaplunov blames SBU officers for the detention and links the incident to the "historical rivalry" between the HUR and SBU, whereas the official statement on the prevention of a terrorist attack was made jointly by the SBU and HUR. Moreover, the RDK reported that it had contacted the SBU, HUR, and NABU for help in searching for the missing Kaplunov and received no clear information, which contradicts the picture of coordinated action by the security services. Finally, the explanations for the shootout also differ: according to the lawyer's version, it occurred during a search of the apartment, whereas the official account emphasizes the prevention of a terrorist attack.
Context: security services rivalry and the role of the "Timur Special Unit"
Kaplunov believes that the main goal of his detention was to discredit the "Timur Special Unit" and its direct commander, and that the cause was the "historical rivalry" between the HUR and SBU. The incident occurred against a backdrop of heightened attention to Kaplunov's figure: according to sources, he was specifically named in the statement on the prevention of a terrorist attack against an opposition figure arriving in Ukraine. As of the time of preparing this material, on September 3, Kaplunov, by his own account, is under the guard of fighters from his unit in a safe location, and the question of what actually happened — a kidnapping or a lawful detention within the framework of an investigation — remains open and depends on further investigative and public explanations from both sides.
