---
title: "Drone Attacks SBU Building in Kyiv: Service Promises Russia a \"Painful Response\""
description: "A Russian drone attacked the SBU building in the center of Kyiv, targeting the office of the acting head of the service, Oleksandr Poklad. Twelve people were injured. The SBU promised a \"painful response.\""
date: 2026-09-04T15:34:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/drone-attacks-sbu-building-kyiv-painful-response
tags: [ukraine, russia, sbu, drone-attack, kyiv, zelensky, poklad, security-service]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Drone Attacks SBU Building in Kyiv: Service Promises Russia a "Painful Response"

![Official at a meeting on the drone attack on the SBU building in Kyiv, where a painful response to Russia was promised](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/04/dron-ataka-zdanie-sbu-kiev-bolezennyi-otvet/dron-ataka-zdanie-sbu-kiev-bolezennyi-otvet-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- A Russian strike drone deliberately targeted the office of the acting head of the SBU, Oleksandr Poklad, in the SBU building in the center of Kyiv
- Twelve people were injured as a result of the attack, nine were hospitalized, and there are seriously wounded; Poklad was not injured
- The SBU promised a "painful response" in the form of special operations and the exposure of agent networks
- Zelensky coordinated with Poklad the geography of retaliatory strikes
- Russia has shifted to a tactic of continuous attacks with jet-powered drones that are difficult to intercept

### Targeted Strike on the Acting Head of SBU's Office

On September 4, 2026, an incident occurred in the center of Kyiv that is already being called one of the boldest of the entire conflict: a Russian strike drone flew directly into the building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), located opposite Saint Sophia's Cathedral. According to the SBU press service, the drone deliberately targeted the office of the acting head of the service, Oleksandr Poklad. Fortunately, Poklad himself was not injured. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky was the first to officially report the attack, making a statement immediately after a phone call with the acting head of the SBU.

### Casualties and Material Damage

As of the time of publication, 12 people were injured as a result of the Russian strike. Nine of them were hospitalized, and among the wounded are those in serious condition. The SBU building sustained damage, however the service assured that it will definitely be restored. The scale of the destruction and the exact number of damaged rooms were not disclosed at the time of preparing this material.

### "Painful Response": The SBU's Position and the Coordinated Geography of Strikes

In a statement released by the SBU press service, it was emphasized that the objective of the Russian attackers was only partially achieved: Poklad was not injured, and the attack did not affect the service's operations. "The Russians will receive a painful response to their strikes — even more special operations, exposed agent networks, and destroyed enemies," the SBU stated. President Zelensky, in turn, noted that he had already coordinated with Poklad the "geography of the response" to the latest Russian attacks, which implies expanding the list of targets subject to strikes on Russian territory.

### Tactical Shift: Jet-Powered Drones Against Kyiv

Analysts and Ukrainian military are recording a sustained change in the tactics of Russian strikes. In recent weeks, the adversary has been continuously attacking Kyiv and the Kyiv region with jet-powered drones, which, according to air defense specialists, are significantly harder to intercept than previous models. It is precisely this new tactic that probably allowed the drone to reach the SBU building in the very center of the capital, bypassing several layers of defense.

### Context and Significance of the Incident

The attack on the SBU building is not just another strike on civilian infrastructure. It is a targeted blow to a law-enforcement agency responsible for counterintelligence and combating agent networks, which makes the incident politically and symbolically extremely significant. For Kyiv, this is confirmation that Russian strikes are increasingly aimed not only at military and energy infrastructure but also at state security bodies, which may become grounds for revising air defense strategic priorities and strengthening the protection of key administrative buildings in the center of the capital.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [SBU Issues Statement After Bold Russian Attack: The Response Will Be Painful](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/sbu-zrobili-zayavu-pislya-zuhvaloyi-ataki-1788535687.html) - Официальное заявление пресс-службы СБУ: здание будет восстановлено, Россия получит болезненный ответ. Поклад не пострадал.
- [Drone Attacks SBU Headquarters in Kyiv: Zelensky Demands a Retaliatory Strike](https://vesti.az/v-mire/dron-atakoval-stab-kvartiru-sbu-v-kieve-zelenskii-trebuet-otvetnogo-udara-613524) - Подтверждение факта атаки дрона на здание СБУ и реакции Зеленского с требованием ответного удара.
- [Russia Attacks the Center of Kyiv: Drone Hits SBU Building Opposite Saint Sophia's Cathedral](https://kyiv.tsn.ua/ru/kyiv/rossiya-atakovala-tsentr-kieva-dron-popal-v-zdanie-sbu-naprotiv-sofiyskogo-sobora-3162257.html) - Географическое уточнение: здание СБУ расположено напротив Софийского собора. Подтверждение атаки в центре Киева.
- [Zelensky Reports Russian Strike on the Head of SBU's Office](https://www.bbc.com/russian/articles/c4gm274463jo) - Международное подтверждение: Зеленский сообщил об ударе по кабинету главы СБУ после разговора с Покладом.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who was injured as a result of the drone attack on the SBU building?
**A:** As of September 4, 2026, 12 people were injured as a result of the strike, of whom nine were hospitalized. Among the wounded are those in serious condition. The acting head of the SBU, Oleksandr Poklad, was not injured.

### Q: What did the SBU state in response to the attack?
**A:** The SBU press service stated that the damaged building will definitely be restored, and that Russia will receive a "painful response" in the form of additional special operations, the exposure of agent networks, and the destruction of enemies.

### Q: How did President Zelensky react?
**A:** Volodymyr Zelensky was the first to officially report the attack after a phone call with Poklad. He also noted that he had coordinated with the acting head of the SBU the geography of retaliatory strikes in response to the Russian attacks.

### Q: Why was the drone able to reach the SBU building in the center of Kyiv?
**A:** According to Ukrainian military, Russia has changed its tactics and is using jet-powered drones, which are significantly harder to intercept than previous models. This allows the drones to overcome layers of air defense and reach targets in the center of the city.