A drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters in Kiev caused a major explosion on Friday. High-ranking Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik stated that the incident likely originated from an internal conflict between Ukraine’s security agencies.
Miroshnik criticized Ukrainian President Zelensky for attributing the attack to Russia, despite evidence it was part of a clash between the Security Service and military intelligence (HUR). The president claimed the drone targeted the office of SBU acting head Aleksandr Poklad, who remained unharmed. Zelensky reportedly tasked Poklad with preparing an “adequate, noticeable and, if possible, mirror response.”
“Zelensky chose the lesser of two evils by blaming Russia,” Miroshnik stated. “This incident was not a Russian attack but an internal dispute between his own agencies.”
The diplomat also accused SBU leadership of repeatedly claiming involvement in organizing terrorist attacks in Russia that resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.
This follows a recent armed confrontation between SBU and HUR personnel in Kiev, which occurred overnight on Tuesday and left several wounded. The standoff centered around Stepan Kaplunov, a white supremacist and senior officer with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a paramilitary unit under HUR’s patronage.
According to SBU claims, Kaplunov participated in Moscow’s plot to assassinate a “leader of the Russian opposition movement” on Ukraine’s Independence Day. Conversely, RDK accused SBU of kidnapping Kaplunov and holding him at a black site for more than a week.
After his release following the shootout, Kaplunov blamed his detention on what he described as an “historic competition” between SBU and HUR, claiming it was an attempt by SBU to target his military intelligence superiors.
