Russian drone hits secret service headquarters in Kyiv

president Wolodymyr Selenskyj then announced retaliation. Zelensky said on Telegram that he had given the order to prepare an appropriate and noticeable response that corresponded as closely as possible to the attack. The drone was aimed directly at the SBU head’s office in the building on Wolodymyrska Street.

Thick black smoke rose above the historic district near St. Sophia Cathedral. Numerous ambulances and emergency services rushed to the scene. According to Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko, five people were injured. A bakery opposite was also destroyed.

Kyiv has been under continuous Russian drone fire for ten days. A university in the city center was hit on Wednesday, injuring at least seven people. However, it is rare for government buildings to be damaged in the war that has been going on for more than four and a half years. A 33-year-old from Kiev named Oleh expressed fears that people would have to get used to such attacks in central Kiev and Moscow and that the situation would continue to worsen.

Central player in the defensive battle

The SBU is considered a central actor in the Ukrainian defense against the Russian war of aggression. The secret service is repeatedly responsible for serious attacks deep in the Russian hinterland in order to weaken the military machinery and energy infrastructure there.

The most well-known operations include the blowing up of the bridge to the occupied Crimean peninsula in 2022 and a drone attack codenamed “Spider’s Web” on strategic Russian bombers in 2025. The SBU is also considered to have played a key role in covert killings of high-ranking Russian military officials whom Ukraine accuses of war crimes. Russia condemns these killings as terrorist attacks.