On September 28, 2026, Russian forces launched a deadly daytime drone strike on the headquarters of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv.
The attack on the historic 19th-century building killed at least two people and injured several others. The strike caused a major fire, forcing workers to escape by climbing out of upper-floor windows as firefighters rushed to rescue them. Among the wounded was Volodymyr Horbulin, the academy’s first vice president and a former national security official.
Key Details of the Attack
• New Tactics: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that Russia has increasingly deployed faster, high-flying jet-powered drones rather than traditional propeller-driven models. Of the 120 drones fired across Ukraine that day, 90 were jet-propelled, which have a lower interception rate of 57%.
• Location: The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) is situated in the historic heart of Kyiv, near several landmarks including the German Embassy, the National Opera, and St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral.
• Wider Strikes: The strike was part of an all-day aerial barrage across Ukraine. In Kyiv, the Russian military also hit a private medical clinic, a pharmaceutical company, and petrol stations. Beyond the capital, Russian strikes targeted a business center in Dnipro, killing three people, and wounded dozens in Kharkiv.
• Official Responses: NASU condemned the strike as an act of “Russian terror” and “barbarity” against peaceful workers. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the daytime strike deeply cynical and renewed calls for allies to provide more advanced air defense systems. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the escalated bombardments were part of a “price” Ukraine must pay for its recent operations.