This week, a shootout occurred in Kyiv between SBU and GUR, NABU and SAPO conducted Operation “Carthage”, the participants of which "covered" fraudulent call centers, and representatives of the US President Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner visited Kyiv.
Babel has compiled the main events of the week to keep you informed.
Conflict between SBU and GUR
A shootout between SBU and GUR officers took place in Kyiv. SBU said it was conducting a search in connection with a plot to assassinate a Russian opposition leader. According to the special services, the deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK) Stepan Kaplunov may have been involved, and he allegedly confessed.
Kaplunov himself stated that he was forced to testify. Later, Babel sources reported that the likely target of the assassination attempt was the leader of Ichkeria Akhmed Zakayev. However, Babel’s interlocutors from Zakayev’s entourage stated that they learned about the assassination attempt only from the media.
President Volodymyr Zelensky first reported personnel decisions due to this incident, and on September 3, he dismissed the head of the State Secrets and Licensing Department of SBU Oleh Khramov.
Operation “Carthage”
NABU and SAPO reported on an operation called "Carthage". According to the investigation, a criminal organization led by an official of the Prosecutor Generalʼs Office received money for "covering" a network of fraudulent call centers.
Today, a warrant was issued for one of the alleged suspects, Serhiy Kropyva, who was the deputy head of the international cooperation department at the UCP. He was sent to custody with the alternative of bail of 120 million hryvnias.
Witkoff and Kushner visited Kyiv
American representatives arrived in Kyiv by train on September 6 and met with Zelensky. During a press conference, the parties announced a new trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia, President Donald Trumpʼs peace package, and "significant progress" in the negotiations in Moscow.
The day before, Witkoff and Kushner met with Putin in the Kremlin. Russian media reported that the conversation lasted more than three hours. During the talks, Putin ordered not to strike Kyiv for three days starting at midnight on September 6.
Ukraine attacked Russian military facilities
The Ukrainian military attacked Russian targets this week. In particular, the Defense Forces destroyed a Russian MiG-29 aircraft at the Millerovo airfield and a Ka-27 helicopter at the Yeisk airfield.
They also attacked ammunition depots and military equipment. And on September 2 and 3, the Ukrainian military also attacked two Russian vessels — the Nefrit vessel in the Sochi area and the BK-16 boat in Sevastopol.
The National Bank has put a new banknote into circulation
The National Bank of Ukraine has put into circulation a new UAH 2000 banknote. It is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of Ukrainian poet and dissident Vasyl Stus. The obverse of the banknote depicts Vasyl Stus, while the reverse features a fragment of his manuscript and images related to his life and work.
Russian drone hits the SBU building in Kyiv
The Russians hit the SBU building in Kyiv with a drone. It was aimed directly at the office of the head of the security service Oleksandr Poklad. He was not at his workplace at the time of the strike. A fire broke out after the attack, which was extinguished.
Міністерство культури України
The attack on the Shevchenkivsky district injured about a dozen people. The attack also damaged the nearby Consistory building on the territory of the National Reserve "Sophia Kyivska".
“Nord Stream” trial postponed
A court hearing was scheduled to take place in Croatia on September 4 on the extradition of Ukrainian Volodymyr Zhuravlyov to Germany in the case of the “Nord Stream” sabotage — but the trial was postponed because the German side updated the European arrest warrant and added a new qualification to it — "war crime".
Kyiv changes air threat warning system
The air threat warning system will now be divided into two levels. The yellow level will report a drone threat, and the red level will report a missile threat, a combination of drones and missiles, or a massive drone attack.
If the threat changes, the new message replaces the previous one. For example, after “Drone Threat”, “Missile Threat” is reported — this means that the missile threat is relevant. A separate “All-Clear” is not reported between them.
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