Kyiv, Sep 2026 : Ukraine has condemned a Russian strike on the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) in central Kyiv, with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha describing the attack as a “major escalation” that requires a firm response from Ukraine’s international partners.
Sybiha said Moscow carried out the strike at a time when efforts to revive peace negotiations were underway, arguing that the attack demonstrated what he called Russia’s unwillingness to pursue diplomacy.
“Moscow launched this strike during a renewed push for peace -- laying bare its true rejection of diplomacy,” Sybiha wrote on X on Friday.
The Ukrainian foreign minister urged Kyiv’s allies to strongly condemn the attack and increase pressure on Russia in response. He said the incident underscored the need for Ukraine’s partners to take a tougher approach towards Moscow.
Earlier on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a Russian drone had struck the SSU building in central Kyiv. According to Zelensky, the drone attack was aimed directly at the office of SSU Deputy Director Oleksandr Poklad.
The reported strike came amid a broader escalation in drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides continuing to target military, infrastructure and other strategic sites.
Russian authorities, meanwhile, reported a series of Ukrainian drone and artillery attacks on the Belgorod and Moscow regions. They said the attacks killed one civilian and injured 21 others.
Belgorod Acting Governor Alexander Shuvayev said the region had come under 178 attacks during a 24-hour period, involving both artillery fire and drone strikes. One person was reported killed in the attacks.
In the Moscow region, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said Russian air-defence systems had intercepted and destroyed 548 Ukrainian drones between Wednesday morning and Thursday noon. The scale of the reported attacks highlighted the intensity of the ongoing aerial campaign.
A separate drone strike also triggered a fire at an industrial plant in the Bogorodsky district of the Moscow region, according to regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov. Emergency services were deployed to the site to deal with the blaze.
The latest developments come as diplomatic efforts to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict remain stalled. Earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said negotiations had effectively reached an impasse. He also dismissed reports that Russia was preparing for another mobilisation following the State Duma election, calling such reports “nonsense.”
Putin reiterated that Moscow remained open to negotiations, but said any talks should be based on concrete substance and produce a practical contribution towards ending the conflict.
He said Russia wanted to achieve a lasting and comprehensive peace in Ukraine and across Europe and remained prepared to engage with any side willing to participate in negotiations. Putin also said Moscow respected the positions of countries supporting a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
