A Russian drone strike hit the headquarters of Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) in central Kyiv on Friday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying the attack directly targeted the office of acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said nine people were injured after a fire broke out following a drone strike on a non-residential building in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where the SBU headquarters are located.
Zelenskyy said he spoke with Poklad after the attack and tasked him with preparing an “adequate and tangible” response that would, “if possible, mirror” the strike on the SBU headquarters.
Ukrainian media reported that Poklad was not in his office when the attack occurred.
The strike comes as the SBU has expanded its role in Ukraine’s long-range campaign against Russian targets. Alongside Ukraine’s military intelligence and armed forces, the agency has carried out attacks targeting Russian oil infrastructure and vessels and other elements of Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet.
Kyiv has significantly intensified its long-range strikes inside Russia during 2026, targeting infrastructure considered important to Moscow’s war effort.
Poklad has served as acting head of the SBU since July. Under his leadership, the agency has continued efforts to expand long-range strike capabilities while also strengthening internal security measures aimed at identifying suspected Russian agents within Ukraine’s security services.
The attack on the SBU headquarters marks a significant escalation in strikes targeting sensitive Ukrainian state institutions in the capital.
Zelenskyy’s call for a response modeled on the attack also raises the prospect of further Ukrainian strikes against Russian targets, although he did not publicly specify what target or operation could be involved.
