A historic building that hosts Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences was struck by a Russian drone, igniting a blaze that broke out at the top of the structure.
Image footage captured residents leaning out of windows as the fire roared, while emergency crews scooped them to safety. The plume of black smoke pushed sharply upward, veening the midday sky over Kyiv.
City mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed that one person was killed and three others were injured in the incident. “The building is a symbol of our scientific heritage, and its loss is deeply felt,” he said in a brief statement after the rescue.
BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams was on the scene watching the firefighters rush to contain the flames. He described the frantic scene as “emergency services fought to stop the raging fire while residents were guided out through the windows.”
The incident follows a series of recent drone attacks that have targeted civilian institutions across the country, drawing international criticism of Russia’s use of unmanned aircraft in populated areas.
