Russian drone strikes SBU headquarters in central Kyiv, targeting acting chief's office
On September 4, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) on Volodymyrska Street in central Kyiv, directly opposite Saint Sophia Cathedral. The drone was aimed at the office of acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who was not in the building at the time. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the strike, spoke with Poklad, and ordered him to prepare a "mirror" retaliatory response, with support from Ukraine's military.
Key points
- Russian drone hit the central SBU building on Volodymyrska Street, 33, in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district on September 4, around 15:30.
- The drone was directed at the office of acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who was not present during the strike.
- A fire broke out in the building after the hit; emergency services extinguished it. Damage to the floor slab and outer wall was reported.
- President Zelensky spoke with Poklad and ordered him to prepare an adequate, tangible, and where possible mirror response, supported by Ukraine's military.
- Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha called the strike a serious escalation amid renewed peace efforts and urged international partners and UNESCO to respond; Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, sits opposite the building.
- Casualty figures from Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko evolved over the day: initially five injured (four hospitalized), later seven (six hospitalized), and subsequently nine (seven hospitalized).
- The attack followed a week of intensified Russian strikes on Kyiv, including a combined drone and missile attack on the night of September 1 that killed eight people including three children, and a drone hit on a nine-story residential building in the Holosiivskyi district on September 3.
Why it matters
The strike directly targeted the headquarters of Ukraine's main security and intelligence agency in the heart of Kyiv and was aimed specifically at the office of the acting SBU head, signaling a deliberate symbolic and operational attack. Because the building sits opposite Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the incident also raised concerns about threats to protected cultural heritage. Zelensky's order to prepare a "mirror" retaliatory response points to potential escalation, while Sybiha's framing of the attack as happening during renewed peace efforts underscored Ukraine's argument that Russia is not genuinely pursuing diplomacy.
What happened
On September 4, around 15:30, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street, 33, in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, near the Zoloti Vorota metro station and directly opposite Saint Sophia Cathedral. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, the drone was aimed at the office of acting SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who was not in the building at the time. A fire broke out in the building, causing damage to the floor slab and outer wall, and emergency services were dispatched and extinguished the blaze. Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko reported that a drone had fallen onto the roof of a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, and gave evolving casualty figures throughout the day, with the final reported toll of nine injured, seven of them hospitalized. Zelensky publicly confirmed the strike, said he had spoken with Poklad, and ordered him to prepare an adequate, tangible, and where possible mirror response, with support from Ukraine's military. The restaurant "Zavertaylo," located opposite the SBU building, also reported damage from the attack.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources centered Zelensky's response to the strike, emphasizing his order for a "mirror" retaliatory action supported by Ukraine's military. They extensively quoted Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, who characterized the attack as a serious escalation occurring during a renewal of peace efforts, framed it as evidence of Russia's rejection of diplomacy, and highlighted the threat posed to Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, calling on international partners and UNESCO to respond. Ukrainian outlets also provided detailed casualty updates from Mayor Klitschko, noted damage to civilian infrastructure including the "Zavertaylo" restaurant across from the SBU building, and placed the strike within a broader pattern of intensified Russian attacks on Kyiv that week, including the combined drone and missile strike on the night of September 1 that killed eight people including three children.
Where reporting differs
Sources reported conflicting casualty figures from the strike. An early account from Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said five people were injured with four hospitalized; a later update reported seven injured with six hospitalized; and an even later account stated nine injured with seven hospitalized. The figures appear to reflect evolving casualty reports throughout the day rather than a single settled toll.
Background
The SBU building is located on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv's Shevchenkivskyi district, near the Zoloti Vorota metro station and across from Saint Sophia Cathedral. The strike came during a particularly intense week of Russian attacks on Kyiv: on the night of September 1 a combined strike involving drones, Zircons, and Iskanders killed eight people including three children; the following night Russia launched 174 drones and missiles at Ukraine with hits recorded at 16 locations; on the morning of September 2 drones damaged a residential building, a hospital, and a school in Kyiv; on September 3 a drone hit a nine-story residential building in the Holosiivskyi district; and on the morning of September 4, the same day as the SBU strike, a fire broke out at an industrial enterprise in Brovary. Oleksandr Poklad was at the time the acting (temporary) head of the SBU.