Russian drone hits National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv strike
A Russian drone strike hit the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv on 28 September, killing at least one person as wider daytime bombardments struck Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Odesa.
Strike on the National Academy of Sciences
On the afternoon of 28 September 2026, a Russian drone struck the presidium building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine at 54 Volodymyrska Street in central Kyiv. The mid-19th century structure caught fire, filling upper corridors with thick black smoke and forcing occupants to climb onto exterior window sills before emergency crews positioned rescue ladders. Vitali Klitschko, the mayor of Kyiv, stated that one woman died and three people sustained injuries requiring hospital treatment. Anatoliy Zagorodny, the president of the academy, reported that at least two academics were killed, with staff unable to establish contact with several others. The site is situated in the Shevchenkivskyi district near the German Embassy, the Constitutional Court, and the national opera house.
A woman was killed. Three people were injured. Rescuers transported them to the hospital.
Coordinated strikes across Kyiv infrastructure
The daytime strike formed part of a continuous wave of aerial attacks on the Ukrainian capital. Ukrainian air defences reported that Russia launched 165 drones overnight, with 112 shot down or neutralised. During the day, strikes also hit the Dobrobut medical centre, several fuel stations, and telecommunication facilities near the offices of Ukrtelecom. Emergency services treated four injured people in the Podilskyi district, including three teenagers, and one injured person in Holosiivskyi. The Russian Ministry of Defence acknowledged targeting communication centres in Kyiv, stating that the facilities provided data and mobile services to the Ukrainian armed forces.
- Launched by Russia
- 165 drones
- Shot down or neutralised
- 112 drones
Casualties across Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa
Russian forces conducted simultaneous strikes on several other urban centres throughout the day. In Dnipro, a strike on an office building during working hours killed three people and injured at least 12, with one additional fatality recorded in Synelnykove by regional governor Oleksandr Hanzha. In Kharkiv, guided aerial bombs hit multi-storey residential buildings in the Kyivskyi and Saltivskyi districts, with Mayor Ihor Terekhov reporting injuries among at least 25 residents, including eight children. A daytime missile attack in the Odesa region struck port infrastructure and hit a cargo vessel operating under the flag of Palau, injuring two crew members.
- Kharkiv residential strikes
- 43 people
- Dnipro office building strike
- 12 people
- Kyiv Academy strike
- 3 people
- Odesa port vessel strike
- 2 people
Diplomatic and military reactions
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that rescue teams were clearing debris and searching for trapped personnel while calling for international legal accountability. Piotr Łukasiewicz, the head of the Polish Embassy in Kyiv, formally condemned the bombardment of the academy. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov addressed the ongoing attacks, linking the strikes to Ukrainian actions during the Russian elections held a week earlier.
Ukraine will have to pay a price for the actions of the last months.
On the front line, Ukraine's 3rd Army Corps stated that it recaptured 51 square kilometres and captured over 250 Russian personnel during Operation Vivaldi in northern Donetsk, according to commander Andriy Biletsky. In Washington, US President Donald Trump stated he asked Zelensky to reduce drone strikes on Russian oil refineries.
