A Russian drone has struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service, or SBU, in central Kyiv, injuring five people and hitting an institution at the centre of the country’s security and intelligence operations.
The attack took place on Friday at the SBU’s central building on Volodymyrska Street, across from St. Sophia Cathedral. Heavy black smoke rose from the site as ambulances and emergency services rushed to the scene.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said the drone had been aimed directly at the office of the acting head of the SBU, Oleksandr Poklad. Poklad was not in the vicinity when the strike occurred.
The attack damaged the area around one of Kyiv’s most historic sites. The SBU headquarters stands close to Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A building used by the popular bakery Zavertailo was destroyed in the attack.
Zelensky said he had spoken with the SBU chief after the strike and instructed the service to deliver an “appropriate, tangible response”. He said the response should be “where possible, one that mirrors this strike”.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described the attack on the SBU headquarters as a rejection of diplomacy and a major escalation. Russia has not commented on the strike.
The attack formed part of a broader series of overnight Russian strikes across Ukraine, including the southern Odesa region. Kyiv has faced continuous Russian drone attacks for ten days. A university in the city centre was hit on Wednesday.
The strike on the SBU building brings the recent campaign into the heart of the capital’s state institutions. Zelensky’s account indicated that the acting chief’s office was the intended target, though Poklad was absent at the time.
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