Russian drones strike Kyiv's National Academy of Sciences and Dobrobut clinic, killing one and injuring 21

Why it matters

A single day of strikes hit both a national scientific institution and a civilian medical facility in central Kyiv, producing the first confirmed fatality in a series of attacks on prominent civilian and scientific sites. The death of a former senior security official's assistant and the injury of the official himself brought the war's toll into the country's security and scientific establishment. The strike drew explicit personal condemnation from three European leaders, framing the attack on the Academy of Sciences as an attack on science itself. Russia deployed 124 strike drones nationwide that day, 86 of them jet-powered, with the main direction being Kyiv region — a scale that underscores the intensity of the assault on the capital.

What happened

On 28 September 2026, Russia launched a second mass drone attack on Kyiv that day. Around 13:30, a Russian drone struck the Presidium building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the Shevchenkivskyi district, igniting a fire that rescuers later localized and extinguished. Later, a second drone hit the Dobrobut medical center on Antonovycha Street in the Holosiivskyi district — the second hit on the clinic that day. The upper floors housing the Dobrobut Academy and the lower floors with the polyclinic caught fire; windows on floors 1–3 were blown out and medical equipment was damaged. The roof of an adjacent four-storey residential building also caught fire; a woman was rescued from that building. The Dobrobut clinic suspended operations for several days; other Dobrobut centres continued to operate.

Police documented damage in four districts. A 44-year-old woman was killed; according to police, 21 people were injured in total. Six, including two children, were hospitalized. The Darnytsia pharmaceutical plant was also struck — the third attack on it since 23 September; no casualties were reported there. Drone debris also fell in the Solomianskyi, Desnianskyi, and Holosiivskyi districts. The Ukrainian Air Forces confirmed drones were used.

Former NSDC Secretary Volodymyr Horbulin was injured in the NASU strike; his assistant Natalia Bukalo was killed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned the attack, saying 'science has become a target for Russia.' Moldovan President Maia Sandu called it 'deliberate terror against the people, science and economy.' Council of Europe Secretary General Alain Berset called the new wave of attacks 'senseless and cruel.' President Zelenskyy said Russia would face a response. From 6:30 to 18:30 that day, Russia launched 124 strike drones at Ukraine, 86 of them jet-powered, with the main direction being the Kyiv region.

Where reporting differs

Casualty figures diverge across sources. For the Dobrobut strike, the Dobrobut network itself reports 7 injured (6 of them employees), while the State Emergency Service gives 3 injured in early reporting and 8 injured in later updates that include the adjacent residential building. For the NASU strike, early reports and President Zelenskyy initially cited 4 injured and 1 killed, while later SES and police figures put it at 6 injured and 1 killed, with Zelenskyy stating three of the six were children. One article title and one source report the NASU death toll rose to two, and one source says two academicians were killed. Total injured across Kyiv on 28 September is reported as either 19 (Mayor Klitschko, early) or 21 (police, later update). Mayor Klitschko located the second drone strike in the Shevchenkivskyi district (a 7-story administrative building at the 4th floor), while a Radio Liberty correspondent placed it in the Holosiivskyi district at the Dobrobut hospital.

Background

The Dobrobut medical network is a private civilian healthcare provider in Ukraine. The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is the country's main state scientific institution, headquartered in central Kyiv. The Dobrobut clinic on Antonovycha Street is located near the Constitutional Court of Ukraine. Former NSDC Secretary Volodymyr Horbulin held leadership roles in the National Academy of Sciences after leaving government service. Russia has repeatedly struck the Darnytsia pharmaceutical plant in late September.