A Russian drone struck the central building of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) on Volodymyrska Street in central Kyiv on Friday, Sept. 4, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky, the drone was directed specifically at the office of SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, which is located in the building opposite Kyiv’s St. Sophia Cathedral.
“I spoke with the Head of the Security Service of Ukraine, Oleksandr Poklad. Unfortunately, a Russian drone struck the central building of the SBU on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, across from St. Sophia Cathedral,” the president said in a Telegram post.
“All emergency services are on the scene. Everyone affected will receive the necessary assistance,” he added.
Zelensky orders retaliation response
Zelensky said he had instructed Poklad to prepare a “tangible” response to the attack and, if possible, to mirror Russia’s strike.
“I gave Poklad the task of adequately, noticeably and, if possible, mirroring the Russians’... attack, when everything is prepared. Our military will support this response,” Zelensky said.
According to Zelensky’s latest update on the matter, Ukraine has defined target locations for retaliatory strikes following a briefing from Poklad.
“The geography of the response has been determined,” Zelensky said, while the “timing will be chosen to ensure results.”
The location of the strike, in the historic center of Kyiv, near St. Sophia Cathedral, is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Sybiha condemns the strike, calls it a major escalation
Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike in a statement posted to X, calling it a major escalation that “demands resolute responses.”
“Moscow launched this strike during a renewed push for peace – laying bare its true rejection of diplomacy,” Sybiha said, urging international partners to unanimously condemn Russia’s actions and increase pressure on Putin’s regime.
He also urged UNESCO to “react decisively and increase its efforts to protect endangered heritage in Ukraine.”
Seven injured in the Shevchenkivskyi district
Kyiv Post reporters heard the explosion and went to the scene where smoke was pouring out of a third floor window of the building, which is normally guarded by a heavy military presence.
Earlier in the day, the area around St. Sophia, across the street from the SBU building, was on lockdown, as it often is when foreign dignitaries come to visit.
Meanwhile, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko initially reported that a fire broke out in the Shevchenkivskyi district after an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed onto the roof of a non-residential building.
“Emergency services are on their way to the scene,” he wrote.
In his latest Telegram update, Klitschko said seven people had been injured in the Shevchenkivskyi district. Six of them were hospitalized.
Several Ukrainian media outlets also published photos from the scene.
The Zavertaylo restaurant, located around the corner from the SBU building near the Zoloti Vorota metro station, was reportedly destroyed in the attack.
Restaurant co-owner Stanislav Zavertaylo reported the damage on social media.
“Russia has destroyed our restaurant again. This time, Zavertaylo near Sofia. I don’t know what else to say. I’m going there. The biggest concern is for the guests and the team.”
His wife and co-owner, Anna Zavertaylo, said that the restaurant’s staff and guests were safe and had taken shelter in the basement.
Stanislav Zavertaylo later reported that one guest had been injured and taken to hospital.
Stanislav and Anna Zavertaylo also own the Honey restaurant chain. Their establishments have previously been affected by Russian attacks.
In August 2025, Stanislav Zavertaylo reported the partial destruction of the Honey restaurant on Zhylyanska Street in Kyiv. In May 2026, a Russian air target was reportedly shot down near the Zavertaylo restaurant in Kyiv’s Podil district.
The reported strike comes amid a sustained wave of Russian drone attacks on Kyiv. The capital has faced Russian drone strikes on multiple consecutive days, with attacks also damaging residential and educational buildings in recent days.
Previously, a fire broke out at a non-residential site in Kyiv’s Solomianskyi district during a Russian drone attack on Friday, as conflicting reports emerged about what had been hit.
Klitschko confirmed the fire but did not identify the facility or say whether it was struck directly or damaged by falling drone debris. Videos circulating online showed a large blaze and a column of smoke, but Kyiv Post could not independently verify the location.
Unverified social media reports variously claimed that the fire occurred at a Nova Poshta logistics hub or that an aircraft at the Zhulyany Airport had been hit. Neither Kyiv authorities nor Nova Poshta had confirmed those claims at the time of publication.
Ukrainian lawmaker Oleksiy Honcharenko separately claimed that a Russian drone struck an aircraft at Zhulyany Airport, without providing evidence. He later said two Soviet-era Yak-40 aircraft at the airport had been affected.
Honcharenko also linked the incident to the reported travel plans of US President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner, claiming they had been considering flying to Boryspil International Airport on Sunday, Sept. 6, after a planned visit to Moscow the previous day. He said the flight arrangements had not been finalized.
The lawmaker speculated that the reported strike could have been intended as a signal from Moscow that Russian President Vladimir Putin was unwilling to negotiate. He predicted that Witkoff and Kushner would instead travel to Kyiv by land.
On Thursday, Zelensky said the US representatives had confirmed their readiness to visit Ukraine in the coming days. The reported plan for them to fly to Kyiv, however, remained unconfirmed.
This news story might be updated as more information becomes available.