Russian drone strikes headquarters of Ukraine's intelligence service in Kyiv

A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's intelligence service, the SBU, in the heart of Kyiv. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the news on his Telegram channel.

According to Zelensky, the device targeted the office of the agency's chief, Oleksandr Poklad, directly. The president said Poklad was not in the room at the time of the strike. The building hit stands directly opposite St. Sophia Cathedral, one of the Ukrainian capital's landmark monuments, which was also damaged in the explosion.

Nine wounded in the neighbourhood

The reported toll for the affected neighbourhood is nine wounded, seven of whom were hospitalised. Authorities closed several streets in the area to allow rescue operations. Zelensky wrote that all emergency services were on site and that those affected would receive the necessary assistance.

The Ukrainian president said he had ordered the head of the SBU to respond to the Russian attack "in an adequate, significant and, if possible, proportional manner." Zelensky added that Ukraine's armed forces would support this response, without specifying in what form or on what timeline it might take place.

The attack on the intelligence service's headquarters comes on the eve of a delicate diplomatic moment. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff are expected in the region in the coming days, travelling to both Kyiv and Moscow. Zelensky's message does not draw a direct link between the raid on the SBU and these visits, but it does note the timing of the two events, coming in the midst of a war that has pitted Russia against Ukraine for years.