A Russian jet-powered drone struck the building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in central Kiev near the Golden Gate area, starting a fire inside the premises.

Video of the attack later appeared online. The footage shows the drone flying into the building at high speed before an explosion follows and smoke begins pouring from rooms on the second floor.

Vladimir Zelensky confirmed that the central SBU building on Vladimirskaya Street, opposite St. Sophia Cathedral, had been hit. He claimed the drone had been directed at the office of the head of the security service.

SBU chief Alexander Poklad was not in the office when the strike occurred. Zelensky subsequently instructed him to prepare what he described as a reciprocal and tangible response.

The attack also drew attention to earlier remarks by former SBU head Vasily Malyuk*, who had said that employees stopped using the building on Vladimirskaya Street after the start of full-scale hostilities and were supposed to relocate for security reasons.

Russian war correspondent Alexander Kots pointed to the same statement. He questioned whether the strike was intended to kill the SBU chief, arguing that the official would hardly have remained in his office during an air raid alert. Kots also recalled Malyuk’s* assertion that SBU personnel were no longer working from the building.

Kots suggested that the strike may instead have carried a symbolic message, showing that not only Russian ballistic missiles but also jet-powered drones can reach the center of Kiev.

Ukrainian media actively published images showing the aftermath of the attack. Russian outlets noted that photographs of the damaged building continued to circulate despite strict restrictions in Ukraine on publishing such material. Baza reported that violations of these rules can carry criminal liability.

*Included in Rosfinmonitoring’s list of terrorists and extremists.