The court has set a personal bail for an SBU officer suspected of shooting with GUR

The Pechersky District Court of Kyiv has set a personal bail for Nazar Verkhola, an employee of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), who is suspected of shooting with a self-propelled howitzer.

The special agent is suspected of abuse of authority.

Also today, the court set a personal bail for the serviceman of the Ministry of Defenseʼs Military District Serhiy Ivanov, who is also involved in this case.

Conflict between SBU and GUR

Late in the evening of September 1, a shooting occurred in Kyiv, which was repeated on the morning of September 2. As it later turned out, the conflict arose due to the disappearance of Stepan Kaplunov, the deputy commander of RDK, which is subordinate to the “Tymur Special Unit” of GUR.

He claims that he was kidnapped by SBU and forced under pressure to confess that he had communicated with the Russian FSB and agreed to carry out assassinations on its orders.

According to Babelʼs sources, an assassination attempt was being prepared, in particular, against one of the leaders of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria Akhmed Zakayev. At the same time, those around the oppositionist say that they learned about the assassination attempt only from the media.

It was during the investigative actions in this case, when Kaplunov was brought to his apartment for a search, that the first shooting occurred. Kaplunovʼs brothers were in the apartment at that time. The second time, according to the commander of RDK, SBU opened fire in the morning. Three GUR employees were injured.

After the shooting in Kyiv, the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office launched a pre-trial investigation. President Volodymyr Zelensky first reported personnel decisions due to the incident, and on September 3, he dismissed the head of the State Secrets and Licensing Department of SBU Oleh Khramov.

Kaplunov denies all charges, and the commander of RDK Denys Kapustin emphasizes that Kaplunov has not yet been officially suspected.

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