SBU claims contact between RDK deputy commander and FSB: Kaplunov denies
The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has claimed that Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps, had contact with Russian special services and allegedly received the task of preparing the murder of one of the leaders of the Russian opposition movement in Ukraine.
The SBU also published a fragment of correspondence it calls evidence of these contacts. Kaplunov himself denies cooperation with the FSB and claims that he acknowledged such contacts only under psychological pressure after several days of detention.
A new version of the circumstances of the resonant conflict between SBU officers and servicemen of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) was released by the special service on September 3.
According to the SBU, as part of counter-sabotage work, it received operational information about the preparation of a murder on Independence Day, ordered by the FSB of Russia.
The special service stated that during the work, contacts were discovered between the deputy commander of the RDK and representatives of Russian special services. The name of the serviceman is not mentioned in the SBU announcement text, but from the context of events and previously published materials, it follows that it refers to Stepan Kaplunov.
According to the SBU version, Kaplunov was to prepare an assassination attempt on one of the leaders of the Russian opposition movement, who was to arrive in Ukraine. In addition, the special service claims that during communication with representatives of the RF, the serviceman received tasks regarding the liquidation of other representatives of the Defense Forces of Ukraine for monetary reward.
The SBU did not name possible targets.
The special service also published a screenshot of correspondence, which, according to its claims, was found on the suspect's phone. On the image, one of the interlocutors writes about a proposal to "two hundred" [kill] people in Ukraine for a reward of $50,000 per person. When asked whether there are customers from Russia, the interlocutor answers affirmatively. Names and part of other data in the correspondence are hidden.
It is impossible to independently verify the authenticity of this correspondence and identify its participants from the published screenshot.
The SBU claims that Kaplunov admitted the fact of contacts with the FSB and provided information that helped establish the entire chain of persons involved in the preparation of the crime. Given this and cooperation with the investigation, according to the special service's version, no preventive measure was applied to him.
Kaplunov himself in a new interview with Radio NV presented a fundamentally different version of events.
According to him, on August 23, near his house, unknown persons who introduced themselves as police officers attacked him, threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and without serving procedural documents put him in a car. After several transfers, he was, according to the serviceman, taken to a secure facility.
Kaplunov claims that in total he spent about ten days in isolation at two different facilities. According to him, he was kept in handcuffs and chains with his eyes closed, and the most intense interrogations lasted for the first two days.
He stated that during the interrogations, he was accused of contacts with FSB representatives and allegedly passing such a communication channel to his immediate commander.
However, Kaplunov directly denied the reality of such contacts. According to him, due to his situation and psychological pressure, he agreed with the version of the people detaining him about a connection with the FSB.
"I completely agreed with their version that I had communication with the FSB... although such a thing absolutely did not happen. It was because of my situation and under psychological pressure", Kaplunov stated.
Physical violence during the detention, according to him, was not applied to him. However, he stated threats, including words that he could "disappear completely" and about the need to "dig a hole."
Kaplunov assumed that the goal of the actions against him could be to discredit the "Tymur" special unit of the GUR and its command. He linked the situation with what he called "historical competition" between the two special services. He provided no evidence for this version.
According to Kaplunov, after the end of the multi-day detention, he was returned to the apartment for a search. It was during these investigative actions that a conflict arose near the building between SBU representatives and servicemen of the GUR unit.
Kaplunov stated that he was inside the apartment and did not see the moment of the shootout, only heard shots through the window. After the search ended, fighters of the "Tymur" special unit took him.
According to his information, three servicemen from the unit were wounded, one of them in serious condition due to an artery injury, but his life was saved.
The SBU, in turn, stated that the conflict arose during urgent investigative actions. The special service called the situation "absolutely unacceptable" and emphasized that shooting between representatives of Ukrainian security structures "definitely should not have happened."
Previously, the SBU reported that a group of persons allegedly carried out an armed attack on its operational investigative group, blocked the passage with cars, and prevented investigative actions. The "Alfa" special unit was involved to stop the resistance, whose members used weapons. It was later established that the participants of the conflict belong to one of the units of the Defense Forces.
After the incident, President Volodymyr Zelensky called the shootout between Ukrainian security forces unacceptable and demanded a full and objective investigation.
Currently, the circumstances of the shootout are being investigated by the State Bureau of Investigation. No final conclusions of the investigation regarding the actions of Kaplunov, SBU officers, and GUR servicemen have been publicly announced.
Sources: Security Service of Ukraine, Radio NV
