Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has slammed his security services after a shootout between rival agencies in Kyiv this week, saying he planned dismissals of high-ranking officials.
A gunfight between the military intelligence agency (GUR) and the State Security Service (SBU) erupted in the capital on Wednesday, leaving several officers injured.
Zelensky said late on Thursday that “both agencies must be held accountable, and both acted in a way that is absolutely unacceptable.” He added that two security officials—one from each agency—had been named as suspects in the ongoing investigation and that deputy heads who bear responsibility for the incident “will be dismissed.”
According to Ukrainian media, the conflict may be linked to the SBU detaining a deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, a battalion of anti-Kremlin Russians fighting for Kyiv, which falls under the command of the GUR. The SBU said it was conducting “counter-sabotage work” to “prevent a murder” ordered by Russia, saying it had uncovered contacts between the commander and Russia’s special services. The GUR, meanwhile, said there was a “targeted disinformation campaign” against it.
The shootout adds to broader concerns over governance and institutional discipline in Kyiv at a time when Zelensky’s administration is already facing political turbulence and renewed scrutiny over high-level corruption. Recent investigations have implicated senior officials in alleged money-laundering and other graft schemes, while disputes over wartime leadership have exposed growing tensions within the state. A violent confrontation between two agencies central to Ukraine’s war effort risks further raising questions about coordination and accountability across institutions whose powers have expanded substantially during the conflict. The scale of the dismissals and any subsequent restructuring of the SBU and GUR could indicate whether Zelensky treats the incident as an isolated breakdown or part of a broader problem requiring institutional reform. (AFP)
