A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine's SBU security service in Kyiv on Friday the one of the war's most high-profile targets hit as Russia intensifies air strikes on Ukraine.
Ukraine called the attack a major escalation and President Volodymyr Zelenskiy vowed retaliation as Moscow's strikes on Kyiv entered a 10th consecutive day. Thick black smoke rose over the historic city centre and the mayor said at least 12 people were wounded. Government buildings have rarely been hit in over four years of war.
Zelenskiy said the drone directly targeted the SBU chief's office and confirmed he had ordered a "tangible response" mirroring the strike also adding that "the geography of our response has been determined."
The SBU plays a key role in Ukraine's war effort and running deep strikes inside Russia and covert operations, including the 2022 Crimea bridge bombing and last year's "Spiderweb" drone attack on Russian bombers. Russia has branded such actions terrorism.
The strike came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit Moscow and Kyiv this weekend with peace talks stalled for months. Zelenskiy said the envoys would visit Kyiv on Sunday and urged Russia to pause airstrikes during their trip with offering safety guarantees for their Moscow visit.
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called the strike "a major escalation," saying it exposed Russia's rejection of diplomacy despite renewed peace efforts.
The blast damaged buildings near the UNESCO-listed Saint Sophia Cathedral, shattering windows in the historic complex and a nearby bakery. A local policy analyst said the blast wave was felt 400 metres away.
Kyiv has faced continuous Russian drone attacks for over a week with residents fearing the situation will worsen.
