"This definitely shouldn't have happened": SBU revealed the reason for the shooting involving GUR servicemen in Kyiv

The Security Service of Ukraine reported new details of the conflict between SBU officers and servicemen of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, which led to a shooting in Kyiv. According to the SBU, the events took place during a counterintelligence operation related to an attempt by the Russian FSB to organize the murder of one of the leaders of the Russian opposition movement.

The SBU said it received information about the preparation of the assassination, which the Russian special service allegedly planned to carry out before Ukraine’s Independence Day, through operational channels. During its work, the service reportedly uncovered contacts of the deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps of the International Legion of the GUR of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine with representatives of Russian special services.

According to the SBU, this serviceman was to prepare an assassination of one of the leaders of the Russian opposition movement who was planning to come to Ukraine. In addition, during communications with FSB representatives, he was allegedly given tasks to eliminate other servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a monetary reward. The SBU does not officially name the potential victim.

The service claims that the preparation of the crime was stopped. After that, a set of counterintelligence verification measures was carried out with the participation of the serviceman. According to the SBU, he admitted having contacts with the FSB and provided the relevant information to the Ukrainian special service. His phone allegedly also contained documented correspondence with a representative of the Russian special service. The SBU explained that the serviceman was not subject to a preventive measure precisely because of his cooperation with the investigation. The information obtained from him, the agency says, helped establish the chain of people involved in preparing the crime.

During subsequent urgent investigative actions the situation escalated into an armed conflict. Already on 2 September 2026 the SBU reported that during a search a group of armed individuals blocked the investigative team’s passage with vehicles and, according to the service, attacked them. To stop the resistance, the “Alpha” special unit was engaged, whose officers used firearms. As a result of the incident, people were wounded.

In a new comment on 3 September 2026, the SBU called the very occurrence of an armed conflict between Ukrainian security personnel unacceptable.

“While SBU officers were carrying out urgent investigative actions to collect and record evidence of the said criminal offense, an absolutely unacceptable conflict situation arose that led to a shooting. This definitely should not have happened,” the SBU explained.

The circumstances of the shooting are now being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation. The SBU said it is assisting the investigation to determine all circumstances of the incident. At the same time, the final legal assessment of the actions of all participants in the conflict must be made by the investigation and the court.

Earlier we wrote:

• Abduction, a night search and fire on servicemen: two versions of the SBU–GUR conflict
• Searched for the air defense that Russia could have struck with missiles: an FSB agent from Mykolaiv was sentenced to 15 years
• Photos, takeoff time and base location: the SBU exposed a network that was “hunting” F-16s and Mirage 2000s
• Poison in drinks and a 10-kilogram bomb: FSB agents were preparing a mass killing
• The SBU foiled an RF plan: a former serviceman was preparing to kill a GUR representative for $100,000 using an FPV drone