Russian Drone Strike Hits National Academy of Sciences in Central Kyiv
A Russian daytime drone strike hit the National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring several others amid an escalating air campaign involving high-speed jet drones.
A Russian daytime aerial attack struck the National Academy of Sciences building in central Kyiv, resulting in at least two fatalities and injuring several others, including the Academy's first vice president, Volodymyr Horbulin. The historic 19th-century building caught fire, trapping employees who had to escape through windows as flames swept through the structure. Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack, calling on UNESCO to strip Russia of its voting rights, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Western allies to ramp up absolute pressure on Moscow to prevent further civilian casualties.
The strike on the Academy of Sciences was part of a broader wave of aerial bombardments across Ukraine, which also hit a pharmaceutical company and gas stations in Kyiv, as well as a business center in Dnipro. Moscow has increasingly adopted a new tactic of deploying jet-powered drones, such as the Geran-4 and Geran-5 models, which travel at speeds of up to 600 kilometers per hour. These advanced munitions complicate air defense interception and are deliberately launched during daylight hours to target urban centers and erode civilian resilience.
The aerial escalation has also spilled over near Ukraine's western border with Poland, prompting Warsaw to issue special air raid alerts for the Lublin region. Polish military officials confirmed that the drone threats are encroaching dangerously close to NATO territory. Meanwhile, the Kremlin defended the ongoing strikes, with presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stating that the military actions are a direct response to Ukrainian operations deep inside Russian territory and that Kyiv will continue to pay a price for its actions.
