Deadly Russian drone strike hits Kyiv's science academy

A Russian drone struck the historic building of Ukraine's National Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv on Monday, setting it ablaze. People were seen climbing out of first- and second-floor windows to escape the fire, scenes that have become increasingly common in the heavily bombarded capital.

Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said at least one person was killed and three others wounded, with the injured taken to hospital. The 19th-century building stands close to the German embassy, the National Opera, St Volodymyr's Cathedral and several government buildings.

Anatoliy Zagorodny, president of the academy, said many staff members were inside when the drone struck. Speaking outside the burning building, he said he did not understand why Russia had targeted a leading scientific institution, stressing it had no connection to the military and calling the attack an act of terrorism. He said he feared colleagues might still be trapped inside.

Although the academy is a civilian institution, it has long-standing ties to Ukraine's defence sector. Among the injured was Volodymyr Horbulin, the academy's first vice-president and a former senior security official. A separate drone strike hit a nearby private medical centre, killing at least one person.

Escalating bombardment

Over the past week, Russian missiles and increasingly sophisticated jet-powered drones have hit apartment blocks, offices, warehouses and datacentres across Kyiv, killing and wounding civilians almost daily. The newer jet-powered drones travel faster and are harder to intercept than older Shahed or Geran-2 models, prompting Ukraine to race to develop interceptors. Russia has also shifted toward more daytime attacks, forcing residents of major cities to spend longer periods under air raid alerts, often while continuing to work rather than shelter.

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, urged Western countries to increase pressure on Russia, writing on X that every attack represents a preventable loss of life if pressure on Moscow became total. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Ukraine would have to pay a price for recent strikes deep inside Russian territory, adding that this was already under way.