Information campaign launched to discredit military intelligence, Ukraine's Defence Intelligence says

What Happened

Ukraine's Defence Intelligence (DIU) said on Telegram that a targeted disinformation campaign is being launched to discredit military intelligence and its combat units, with organisers planning to involve media outlets, bloggers and Telegram channels with questionable reputations, including in exchange for financial reward. DIU urged media, journalists and bloggers to contact law enforcement agencies immediately if asked to publish or distribute unverified information. The warning follows a sequence of contested events: 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 a residential building. On 2 September, social media reports claimed a shootout between DIU and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in Kyiv's Dniprovskyi district connected to Kaplunov's disappearance; that morning the SSU said it had, together with DIU, foiled a terrorist attack against a leader of a Russian opposition political national movement who had arrived in Ukraine. Kaplunov's lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, later said the serviceman had been released but his whereabouts were unknown. On 3 September, the SSU released a video in which Kaplunov admitted to having links to Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) and said an attempt had been made to recruit him to assassinate Ukrainian military personnel and other individuals; his lawyer insists the confession was made under duress. Kaplunov himself said on 3 September that he had been abducted by SSU officers and described how he had been made to confess under duress.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The DIU warning and the contested Kaplunov case expose active information warfare within Ukrainian security structures. If the alleged disinformation campaign muddies the Kaplunov affair, it could erode trust in Ukraine's military intelligence and amplify narratives of infighting between DIU and SSU, which Moscow can exploit. The case also intersects with Russian FSB penetration concerns and coercion allegations against a volunteer unit fighting for Ukraine.

Watch For

Monitor whether SSU or DIU release corroborating evidence about Kaplunov's alleged FSB ties or the foiled terrorist attack against the Russian opposition leader; watch for named participants in the alleged disinformation campaign, including specific media outlets, bloggers or Telegram channels; track legal filings, public statements or appearances by Kaplunov and his lawyer, Taras Borovskyi, and any official investigation into the abduction and confession.