On the night of September 8, 2026, as a result of a prolonged aerial attack on Kyiv that lasted almost five hours, the SVITO padel club, founded by Ukrainian tennis players Elina Svitolina and Serhiy Stakhovsky, sustained damage. According to Sport RBC.UA, citing Elina Svitolina's Instagram page, the facility was hit by a blast wave. There are no casualties or injuries among people. The team of the sports venue has already begun addressing the aftermath of the destruction to resume the club's operations as soon as possible.
Extent of the damage and the club's response
According to a statement released by SVITO Padel Club, the blast wave caused significant damage to the facility's internal infrastructure. The published photographs show serious destruction of the ceiling structures, deformed elements of the floors, and debris hanging from the upper levels of the building. The club's official statement emphasizes: "No people were harmed, and that is the most important thing. Our team is already working to address all the consequences, and we will provide additional updates as soon as the club is fully ready to resume operations. We will be in touch separately with everyone who has a booking." The statement also expresses sincere sympathy to all who lost loved ones as a result of the night attack.
About SVITO club: one of the largest padel venues in Ukraine
The SVITO padel club opened in the spring of 2026 and quickly became one of the key sports locations in the capital. The facility includes seven indoor courts and is one of the largest modern padel venues in Ukraine. The project was realized with the direct involvement of Elina Svitolina, a multiple WTA tournament winner, and Serhiy Stakhovsky, one of the most decorated Ukrainian tennis players. The club's opening was marked as a significant event in Kyiv's sports life, and the venue itself was positioned as a modern sports and social hub.
Context of the night attack: strikes on Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and the Odesa region
The night attack on September 8 was part of massive Russian strikes on Kyiv, the Kyiv region, and the Odesa region. Explosions in the capital rang out for almost five hours, indicating the scale and duration of the aerial operation. In addition to the SVITO padel club, other facilities were also affected by the attacks. It was previously reported that Russia struck the "Chornomorets" stadium in Odesa, where damage to the sports infrastructure was also recorded. Thus, the night attack affected sports infrastructure facilities in several regions of Ukraine.
What is known at this point
As of the morning of September 8, 2026, the SVITO club has temporarily suspended operations. The facility's team is carrying out work to restore the damaged structures. The exact timeline for resuming operations was not specified at the time of publication — the club promised to provide additional information. All clients with scheduled bookings will receive separate information from the administration. No official data on the material damage was published at the time of preparing this article.
