Ukraine's intelligence chief responds to alleged "war between Ukrainian special services"

Oleh Ivashchenko, Head of Defence Intelligence of Ukraine (DIU), has commented on the confrontation between the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) and DIU, stating that an isolated incident should not be generalised and projected onto entire institutions.

Source: Ivashchenko's interview with Ukrinform

Quote: "There are no grounds to extrapolate an isolated incident onto state institutions and security services in particular. In our work, secrecy is closely linked to oversight, and operational freedom always operates within the framework of state interests."

Details: The head of military intelligence made these comments when asked about the recent confrontation between the DIU and SSU in the Dniprovskyi district of Kyiv and why an incident involving specific individuals was quickly described as a "war between special services".

Ivashchenko also noted that "both Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine, although they have different functions, work against a common enemy in the interests of national security".

Background:

• On 1 September, the Russian Volunteer Corps said that its deputy commander for combat operations, Stepan Kaplunov, had been abducted by unknown individuals in the courtyard of the building where he was living.
• On the morning of 2 September, reports spread on social media about a shootout said to be between Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district, and that it was somehow connected to Kaplunov's disappearance.
• Meanwhile, the SSU said in the morning that, together with DIU, it had foiled a terrorist attack against a leader of a Russian opposition political national movement who had arrived in Ukraine.
• Later, Kaplunov's lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, said that the serviceman had been released, but his whereabouts were unknown.
• On the morning of 3 September, the SSU released a video in which Kaplunov admitted to having links to Russia's Federal Security Service and said an attempt had been made to recruit him to assassinate Ukrainian military personnel and other individuals. However, his lawyer insists that the confession was made under duress.
• On 3 September, Kaplunov himself also stated that he had been abducted by SSU officers and described his time in a "secret prison", where he was threatened with "disappearing forever".
• Kaplunov also said that the SSU had attempted, with his help, to discredit Dmytro Ivanov, deputy commander of the Timur Special Unit, and Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the President's Office.
• Officers from the State Bureau of Investigation have opened a pre-trial investigation into the circumstances of the confrontation between SSU officers and DIU servicemen.
• On 3 September, Defence Intelligence of Ukraine said that a disinformation campaign aimed at discrediting the military intelligence agency and its units has been launched, with media outlets, bloggers and Telegram channels expected to be involved.

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