On the morning of September 2, 2026, video recordings began to spread widely across social networks and messengers. According to eyewitnesses, the footage shows the aftermath of a shooting in Kyiv's Beriznyaky district. Preliminarily, the incident took place near No. 10 Yuriy Shumsky Street. According to residents, the shootout occurred during the night hours, and by the time the first footage was published, law enforcement officers were already working at the scene. As of the preparation of this material, no official data had been released on the circumstances of the shooting, the number of casualties, or any detained individuals.

Link to the thwarted terror attack: an unconfirmed version

Almost immediately after the videos appeared, several Telegram channels and Telegram bloggers attempted to link the nighttime shootout to the activities of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR). On the same day, the SBU and HUR officially reported the prevention of a terror attack that, according to their data, had been prepared by the Russian FSB against one of the Russian opposition figures located in Ukraine. The security service did not disclose the victim's name, limiting itself to the statement: "Operational and investigative actions are underway." However, no official statement made a direct reference to the shooting on Shumsky Street as an episode of the same operation.

Who, according to sources, was the target of the assassination attempt

According to information obtained by the RBC-Ukraine editorial team from its own sources, the thwarted assassination attempt was directed against Stepan Kaplunov — the deputy commander for combat operations of the "Russian Volunteer Corps" (RVC). If this version is confirmed, the incident acquires a significantly broader political and operational context, going beyond the scope of an everyday or criminal shootout. Nevertheless, as of publication, neither the SBU, nor the HUR, nor the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine had commented on the identity of the alleged target of the attack.

Contradictory data

There are notable discrepancies between various sources. On the one hand, a number of Telegram channels and aggregators (including Rambler) reported as early as the morning of September 2 that the HUR and SBU "clashed" on Shumsky Street, presenting the incident as an inter-agency conflict or a joint operation of the two security services. On the other hand, none of these structures has confirmed that the shooting was the result of their interaction or confrontation. The official position is limited to stating the fact of the prevented terror attack and the conduct of "operational and investigative actions." In addition, some online publications refer to the Beriznyaky district, while others simply say "southwest Kyiv," without reference to a specific address. The number of casualties varies across sources from "unknown" to vague mentions of "several people," with no medical source confirming these figures.

What is known at this point

As of the preparation of this material, only two facts remain confirmed: a shooting took place in the area of No. 10 Yuriy Shumsky Street during the night hours of September 2, 2026, and members of the security forces are present at the scene. Everything else — from the motives and participants to the link with the SBU's statement about the prevented terror attack — remains in the realm of unconfirmed reports and expert speculation. The XAB.info editorial team continues to monitor official statements from Ukrainian security services and will update this publication as reliable information becomes available.