The investigation into the high-profile shootout in Kyiv, which took place on September 2, 2026, on Yuri Shumsky Street between servicemen of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) and officers of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), is ongoing. There are casualties as a result of the confrontation. According to Ukrainian Prosecutor General Ruslan Kравченко, law enforcement officials have already notified one GUR serviceman and one SBU officer of suspicion of using a firearm. As Kравченко notes, at this stage the main task of the investigation is to establish the facts and verify the actions and statements of all parties involved in the conflict.
First Suspicions in the Shootout Case
Within the framework of the criminal case opened on the grounds of the use of a firearm, a set of expert examinations has been appointed. According to Kравченко, they are intended to establish all the circumstances of the use of weapons, determine the origin of the gunshot marks, and examine the physical evidence seized from the scene. Thus, the investigative bodies are recording that the incident is being investigated as a separate crime, not limited solely to clarifying the causes of the clash between the two security agencies.
Separate Case on Kaplunov's Disappearance
The disappearance of Deputy Commander of the RDК Stepan Kaplunov, against the backdrop of which the conflict erupted, is being investigated within a separate criminal case opened on September 1, 2026. Kравченко emphasized that the investigation is establishing the "full picture of what happened": the individuals involved in the disappearance, their motives, the route of movement, and other circumstances. The fact that this episode has been carved out into an independent case indicates that, according to the investigation, Kaplunov's disappearance and the shootout are connected but are legally examined under separate cases.
Contradictory Accounts
The parties' versions regarding Kaplunov's role and the causes of the conflict diverge significantly. According to one version, he was "kidnapped" by SBU officers. Meanwhile, the Security Service itself claims the opposite: according to its statement, it managed to "prevent a terrorist attack" in which the FSB allegedly planned to eliminate one of the Russian opposition figures on Ukrainian territory. Moreover, RBC-Ukraine sources reported that it was Kaplunov himself who was suspected of preparing this terrorist attack. Thus, one side presents Kaplunov as a victim of SBU actions, while the other presents him as a figure implicated in preparing a sabotage act, creating a contradictory picture and making the investigation's conclusions based on the expert examinations key to resolving the conflict of versions.
Context of the Incident
Recall that the direct confrontation took place on September 2 on Yuri Shumsky Street in Kyiv. According to available data, the shootout between GUR servicemen and SBU officers resulted in casualties — according to reports from several media outlets, three people were wounded. The incident occurred against the backdrop of the disappearance of RDК Deputy Commander Stepan Kaplunov and quickly escalated into a high-profile event involving two security agencies. Currently, according to the Prosecutor General's statement, the priority is establishing the facts and verifying the actions of all participants, and the results of the appointed set of expert examinations are expected to shed light on the circumstances of the use of weapons and the origin of the gunshot marks.
