A Russian drone struck the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in Kyiv, targeting the office of security chief Oleksandr Poklad. Down below, firefighters sprayed water on the smoke plume and the building's windows cracked.
Five people were injured in the attack, with a nearby café sustaining damage. President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was tweeting via Telegram, told aides that he had spoken with Poklad and urged a tangible counter‑response. He said the attack signals a “major escalation” and threatened that Ukraine would meet the strike with a comparable counter‑attack when ready.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Shybiha called the drone strike a clear rejection of diplomacy, while Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed the injuries and the café casualty. Russian troops, meanwhile, have been increasing daytime drone attacks, including jet‑powered models that harder to intercept.
Firefighters are still battling smoke and clearing debris, but the SBU’s role—executing deep strikes against Russian infrastructure—remains critical to Ukraine’s war effort.
