Ukrainian Intelligence Officer Is Shot to Death in Kyiv

Since the start of Russia’s invasion in 2022, Ukraine’s domestic intelligence agency, known as the S.B.U., has become famous for its daring covert operations, involving sabotage and assassination inside Russia.

On Thursday, the Ukrainian authorities said that one of the S.B.U.’s own officers from an elite unit was gunned down in daylight in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

The authorities released few immediate details. Two Ukrainian officials identified the victim as Col. Ivan Voronych, who was an officer in the S.B.U.’s Center for Special Operations Alpha and had been with the agency for decades. In surveillance video published by Ukrainian media outlets, a gunman wearing dark clothing can be seen running up to Colonel Voronych in a parking lot and firing what appears to be a pistol several times.

In a statement, the S.B.U. said it was investigating the killing but provided no other information, and current Ukrainian officials would not speculate over Russia’s possible involvement.

“Colonel Voronych took a very active part in countering Russian aggression since 2014,” said Ivan Bakanov, who was head of the S.B.U. in the first months of the war and knew Colonel Voronych personally. “If the motive is domestic-related homicide, that’s one thing. But this could be a public execution carried out by the Russians, which is a completely different story that would require a set of immediate measures from the S.B.U.”

The Kremlin’s supporters cheered the killing.

“I want to believe that it has begun,” Aleksandr Kots, a war correspondent with Russia’s main pro-Kremlin tabloid, said on Telegram in response to the killing. Mr. Kots, who is a prominent booster for the military, added, “The enemy has to be afraid on his territory. For him there can be no safe space.”