Two of Ukraine's special forces units clashed with each other in a dramatic downtown Kyiv shootout
A violent shootout occurred in central Kyiv between two Ukrainian special forces units, the GUR and the SBU, during a disputed apartment search. President Zelenskyy condemned the incident, emphasizing that such confrontations are unacceptable and that military force should be reserved for the war against Russian occupiers.
Why it matters
Internal conflict between elite security agencies during wartime highlights potential coordination issues and political instability within the Ukrainian government.
Servicemen of the Security Service of Ukraine stand next to a "SeaBaby" seadrone. GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images Two units run by Ukraine's spy agencies fought each other in a shootout in central Kyiv on Tuesday. The dramatic confrontation between GUR and the SBU centered on a disputed apartment search. Video appears to show two groups of soldiers approaching each other aggressively before shots ring out. A gunfight broke out in Kyiv on Tuesday between special forces units run by Ukraine's intelligence and security agencies, with at least three officers reported wounded. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy , called the confrontation — involving the country's military intelligence directorate, GUR , and the Security Service of Ukraine , or SBU — an "absolutely shameful situation." "Here, in Ukraine, it is only possible to shoot at Russian occupiers to protect Ukraine.
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