As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fifth year, both sides have been using drones and missiles to attack each other frequently, with Kyiv recently being hit by Russian airstrikes. On Monday (September 28), Russian drones struck Kyiv during the day, targeting the centuries-old National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, resulting in casualties and injuries in various parts of Ukraine.
Video footage obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP) showed a jet-powered drone crashing into the building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine at a steep angle during the day, followed by an explosion engulfing a portion of the building in flames, with thick smoke billowing. The footage also captured individuals leaning out of windows seeking refuge and rescue.
Being Ukraine’s top scientific research institution, the academy is located near the German embassy, several historic buildings, the National Opera House, and various government office buildings.
Former Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, Volodymyr Gorbulin, confirmed to the Ukrainian public broadcasting company Suspilne that he was working inside the academy building during the attack, sustaining minor injuries, while his assistant was tragically killed near the building.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky stated that the attack sparked a fire, and according to preliminary reports from local authorities, at least one person has died, and multiple individuals have been injured.
The academy strongly condemned the attack in a statement, labeling it as “Russian terrorism and barbarism,” accusing it of targeting primarily “scientists working diligently and the science, education, and culture of Ukraine.”
Kyiv officials noted that cultural sites, government institutions, and schools have previously been targeted. Earlier this month, a Russian drone attacked the main building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU).
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky took to social media to indicate that another medical facility in the capital was also targeted that day.
Reports also mentioned that Russia carried out airstrikes on a commercial center in the central city of Dnipro, resulting in four deaths and at least 19 injuries.
Authorities further reported that a residential area in the eastern city of Kharkiv in Ukraine was also hit, injuring several children.
Koretsky stated that Russian forces attacked an industrial facility in Zhytomyr to the west of Kyiv as well as residential apartment buildings in Sumy to the north, Rivne to the northwest, Odesa to the south, and Zaporizhzhia to the southeast, causing numerous civilian injuries, some of which were severe.
Koretsky issued a warning that many areas remain dangerous, urging people not to disregard air raid alerts and to stay in secure locations as much as possible.
Furthermore, Ukrainian military sources and analysts pointed out that Russian forces are rapidly deploying new jet-powered drones, which are faster and have stronger breakthrough capabilities compared to conventional drones modeled after Iran’s “Shahed” prototype, making air defense interceptions significantly more difficult.
Facing escalating air defense threats, Zelensky once again urged Western allied nations to provide urgent military assistance, specifically requesting the supply of the U.S. “Patriot” missile defense system capable of effectively intercepting ballistic missiles.
This latest wave of attacks has heightened concerns in Ukrainian society about the upcoming harsh winter. Last winter, systematic strikes by Russian forces on energy infrastructure caused widespread power outages and heating shutdowns, with temperatures in some areas dropping to as low as -20°C.
Although not explicitly calling for a mass evacuation, Koretsky, in an interview with TSN television, advised vulnerable and mobility-impaired individuals to relocate early to escape the winter, in order to reduce the burden on emergency response efforts.