Butusov on conflict between DIU and SSU: Consequence of manual governance and monopolisation of power

Yurii Butusov, commander of a UAV company of the 23rd Assault Regiment within the National Guard’s 2nd Khartiia Corps, commented on the recent conflict between the DIU and SSU in central Kyiv, calling it a direct consequence of manual governance and the monopolisation of power.

He made the remarks during a broadcast hosted by journalist Iryna Romaliiska on the Butusov.Plus YouTube channel, Censor.NET reports.

"Reserve in the rear"

"Overall, I am pleasantly surprised that amid such intense combat operations, there are several platoons of well-trained, well-equipped assault troops in central Kyiv who are motivated to act immediately, can deploy anywhere, and are ready for combat. They are not afraid of anything at all. So Ukraine still has reserves. The only question is why these reserves are still not fighting but are instead waiting for some momentous business to settle scores in the middle of a residential district," the commander said.

Consequences of manual governance and monopolisation of power

Butusov said the incident demonstrated what manual governance and the monopolisation of power in the country lead to.

"This demonstrates what manual governance and the monopolisation of power in the country lead to: we see security agencies becoming separate entities unto themselves. They handle their own affairs; there are no rules and no oversight. They feel neither oversight nor responsibility for their actions and behave as they see fit, demonstrating their strength and capabilities, including by resorting to gunfire and deploying their large units stationed in Kyiv to secure their influence. I think all this demonstrates a certain imbalance in state authority, the weakness of state authority and a sense of complete impunity among officials at many levels," the serviceman said.

Commenting on the confrontation between the heads of the security services, particularly between Poklad and Budanov, Butusov stressed that it was only one facet of a deep systemic crisis.

"This is one facet of what is happening. As I said, the heads of the security agencies act autonomously and independently, fighting on many fronts for influence and control over various financial flows and schemes in which security officers operate. The security officers essentially finance themselves to resolve any matters of their own, including personal ones. This is the result of such impunity and a sense of such independence: "We’ve got weapons and documents now, so we can do whatever we want." We now see such confrontations in central Kyiv, where what matters to both security agencies is not a legal resolution but showing who is tougher: who has more personnel, who is prepared to go all the way and who can secure political support for such actions by their subordinates. What we were shown was effectively a contest over who is tougher in central Kyiv," the commander said.

Shootout between SSU and DIU in Kyiv

Russian Volunteer Corps deputy commander Stepan Kaplunov was abducted near his home several days ago. The Russian Volunteer Corps said it still did not know his whereabouts.
They added that they were closely monitoring everything that was happening.
At the same time, Russian Volunteer Corps founder and commander Denis Kapustin told Suspilne that he did not approve of Fortuna’s decision to make the information public.
On 2 September, reports emerged of a shootout in Kyiv.

Media outlets reported that it involved a conflict between the DIU and SSU and was somehow connected to Kaplunov’s disappearance.
The SSU said that, together with the DIU, it had prevented a terrorist attack being prepared by Russia’s FSB against one of the leaders of a Russian opposition political national movement who had arrived in Ukraine.
The Security Service said that SSU operatives had come under an armed attack during investigative actions in the FSB terrorist attack case.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy later commented on the shootout between individual SSU and DIU units that occurred in Kyiv on 2 September.
Two servicemen were notified of suspicion.