A Russian drone struck the headquarters of Ukraine’s SBU security service in Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, promising retaliation as Moscow maintained an unrelenting air assault on the capital for a 10th consecutive day.
Thick black smoke billowed over central Kyiv after the strike, marking a fresh escalation in the war. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least seven people were injured.
Although Russia’s war against Ukraine has lasted more than four and a half years, government buildings in the capital have seldom been hit by missiles or drones.
The SBU plays a central role in Ukraine’s war effort, carrying out high-impact operations deep inside Russia aimed at disrupting its military machine and energy infrastructure.
Visitors take shelter following an air raid alert during the Ukrainian Fashion Week in Kyiv
Mr Zelensky said he had ordered “an appropriate, tangible response and, where possible, one that mirrors this strike, to the Russians once everything was ready”.
Ambulances and emergency crews converged on the scene in Kyiv’s historic centre, near Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The owner of the popular Zavertailo bakery said on Telegram that the business, located across from the SBU headquarters, had also been destroyed.
Russian drones have targeted Kyiv continuously for 10 days. On Wednesday, a university in the city centre was hit as well.
“I think (people) can get used to this. In the centre of Kyiv, and in the centre of Moscow. It will get worse, I believe this,” said Oleh, 33, who did not give his surname.
The SBU is a large and secretive agency behind some of Ukraine’s most ambitious operations against Russia, including the 2022 bombing of a bridge linking Russia with occupied Crimea and the 2025 drone assault, code-named Spiderweb, that targeted Russian strategic bombers.
It is also widely regarded as a leading force in a campaign of covert assassinations targeting senior Russian military officers and other figures whom Ukraine accuses of committing war crimes. Russia has condemned the killings as terrorist attacks.
Trump vows to ask Europeans to repay US for Ukraine aid
US President Donald Trump has said he plans to ask European countries to reimburse the United States for aid sent to Ukraine during the administration of his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Mr Trump has repeatedly argued that European nations should bear more of the financial burden for Western assistance to Ukraine, which has been at war with Russia for more than four years.
“Hundreds of Billions of Dollars was given to Ukraine and NATO, free of charge, that Europe would have paid for – If they were only asked, but we will be asking for that money, though somewhat belatedly!” Mr Trump wrote yesterday on his Truth Social platform.
He did not identify the countries he expected to make the payments.
Mr Trump’s post also dismissed reports that the US military was running short of ammunition during its war with Iran.
“We have virtually unlimited amounts of Mid to High Grade Ammunition,” he wrote, adding that production was taking place at “levels never seen before”.
The president said Washington was replenishing its stockpiles and preparing for possible contingencies, while overseas arms sales had been temporarily suspended.
“We are taking (munitions) for ourselves, the U.S.A., rather than selling them to others, but the sales to Allies will soon again, begin,” he added.
WHO says another warehouse affected by attack in Ukraine
The World Health Organization said one of its principal warehouses in Ukraine was affected by an overnight air attack, the third incident involving a WHO facility in three months.
The organisation said the strike formed part of a broader pattern of attacks on humanitarian sites across Ukraine.
“An air attack in Kyiv Oblast affected one of WHO’s main warehouses, storing humanitarian medical needs and supplies,” WHO spokesman Christian Lindmeier told reporters in Geneva.
“Access to the site remains restricted due to heavy smoke and safety concerns, while assessments of possible damage and stock losses are ongoing.”
No WHO staff members were affected, he said.
“The attacks are part of a broader pattern affecting humanitarian operations across the country,” Mr Lindmeier said.
“In 2026, at least 20 attacks have affected warehouses storing humanitarian supplies, including 15 attacks on warehouses holding health-related humanitarian supplies.”
He said three WHO-operated warehouses in different parts of Ukraine had been damaged by airstrikes during the past three months, destroying vital medical supplies intended for frontline communities and areas that are difficult to reach.
An attack two weeks ago destroyed a humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro, wiping out half of the medical supplies and equipment earmarked to assist an estimated 225,000 people.
A separate WHO warehouse in Kyiv Oblast was damaged during a large-scale wave of attacks on the capital and surrounding region in July, the spokesman said.
Mr Lindmeier added that, “in my understanding, all warehouses, all UN locations, all WHO locations are deconflicted”, meaning their locations are clearly communicated to every side in an armed conflict.
The WHO documents and verifies attacks on healthcare facilities but does not assign responsibility because it is not an investigative agency.
The UN organisation has verified more than 3,000 attacks in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Healthcare facilities and the wider health system are protected under international humanitarian and human rights law.
