On the afternoon of September 28, 2026, Russian troops launched a targeted drone attack on the historic center of Kyiv. The building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU), located on Volodymyrska Street, came under fire. As a result of a direct hit, part of the historic structure was completely destroyed, and a powerful fire broke out at the scene, which is being promptly extinguished by the State Emergency Service.
Chronicle of the tragedy and emergency services work
The attack was carried out in the middle of the working day when many employees were inside the premises. According to official data as of 14:40, a woman was killed in the attack, and at least three other people received injuries of varying severity and were urgently hospitalized. Eyewitnesses note that the strike occurred during lunch hours, which may have prevented even greater casualties. According to witnesses inside, a jet-powered drone was used.
Scale of destruction and historical significance of the object
The building that took the hit has colossal historical and cultural significance for Ukraine. Built in the mid-19th century as a boarding school for girls, it was originally two-story, after which it underwent reconstruction with the addition of a third floor. Starting in 1918, it became home to the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. In addition, the blast wave and debris significantly damaged an adjacent building of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
Contradictory data
While Ukrainian specialized agencies and media record the strike precisely on the headquarters of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street, some third-party sources and telegram channels began spreading alternative versions claiming that the target was allegedly the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building or the office of the agency's head. Official Kyiv authorities refute these speculations, confirming the destruction exclusively of a civilian scientific facility and the Ministry of Education building.
Aftermath and traffic restrictions
Due to large-scale destruction and rescue equipment operations, law enforcement officers completely blocked traffic on Volodymyrska Street from the intersection with Bohdan Khmelnytsky Street to Taras Shevchenko Boulevard. Investigators, bomb disposal experts, and utility services are working on site to document another war crime against Ukrainian science and culture.
