The Security Service of Ukraine suspects Stepan Kaplunov, deputy commander of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC), of plotting an assassination attempt on Akhmed Zakayev, the head of the government of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria in exile. The latter's name was reported by "Babel" and "Suspilne," citing law enforcement sources.

The day before, on September 2, the SBU reported a foiled assassination attempt on one of the leaders of the Russian opposition movement, without specifying the target. According to the intelligence agency, the attack was scheduled to take place on Ukraine's Independence Day, when the individual was in the country.

On September 3, the SBU issued a notice of suspicion against Kaplunov. According to the agency, he agreed to cooperate with the FSB, promising to carry out assassination attempts, including on Ukrainian military personnel, for money. At the time of publication, the SBU had not commented on the alleged target of the assassination attempt planned for August 24.

Kaplunov denies collaborating with the Russian intelligence service. He claims he confessed to contacts with the FSB under "psychological pressure."

Kaplunov came into the spotlight following recent events in Kyiv. On September 1, Oleksandr Fortuna, Chief of Staff of the Regional Disciplinary Committee, reported his abduction. The following day, gunfire erupted on Yuriy Shumsky Street in the Berezniaky residential area. It was later reported that the conflict arose during a search of Kaplunov's apartment.

Afterward, members of the "Timur Special Unit" of the Main Intelligence Directorate, of which the Regional Disciplinary Committee is a part, took him away. Kaplunov reported that he was in a safe place under the guard of the unit's members.

Representatives of the "Timur Special Unit" claim that SBU officers abducted Kaplunov and held him without formal charges. The SBU insists that its officers were conducting urgent investigative actions in a case involving a terrorist attack organized by Russian intelligence agencies. According to the agency, during the operation, an armed group attacked the investigative team, attempted to interfere with its work, and blocked its vehicles.

Kaplunov portrays the incident as an attempt to discredit "Timur's Special Forces," as well as the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine and former head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, Kirill Budanov.

Budanov called for a thorough and impartial investigation. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the conflict between the intelligence agencies shameful and demanded personnel changes regarding those involved in the shooting. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Office of the Prosecutor General are conducting the investigation.

On August 27, 2026, Kirill Budanov, the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, received Akhmed Zakayev, Prime Minister of the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria. The Ukrainian side did not officially announce the meeting, but a photograph from it was published on an Instagram account associated with Zakayev's inner circle. In Russia, Zakayev was sentenced in absentia to 20 years in prison. Since the outbreak of full-scale war, he has regularly visited Ukraine, coordinating the activities of several Chechen volunteer units fighting on the Ukrainian side. According to publications by his press service, the Ichkerian prime minister maintains a permanent office in the Ukrainian capital. His eldest son, Shamil, is also participating in the war and, in particular, took part in raids on Russia's Belgorod region.

In April 2026, the Sheikh-Mansurovsky District Court of Grozny designated the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria a terrorist organization and banned its activities in Russia, as well as the activities of 29 affiliated units in 14 European countries. According to the FSB, Akhmed Zakayev has headed the structures associated with the Chechen Republic of Ichkeria since 2007.

In March 2026, The Insider reported that a secret unit linked to Russian intelligence services was planning an operation against Zakayev and his family members. According to the investigation, the suspect was promised approximately $1.5 million for the successful kidnapping of each target, and more than $10 million for the third person, who was to be "taken dead or alive."