Escalating Russian Missile and Jet Drone Strikes Batter Kyiv Following Devastating Academy of Sciences Attack

Russian forces have launched fresh strikes against the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, following an earlier drone attack on the National Academy of Sciences in the historic city center that resulted in at least two deaths. Explosions echoed across Kyiv early Tuesday, as Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that missile debris had fallen in one building's courtyard while a fire broke out in another structure. These assaults coincide with Russia's deployment of faster, high-flying jet drones against Kyiv and other urban centers.

Emergency services confirmed that Monday's strike on the National Academy of Sciences killed two people, with one body recovered from the rubble later that evening. Online footage depicted a fast-moving drone hitting the building at a steep angle, causing an explosion and billowing smoke into the clear sky. Flames engulfed part of the structure as people leaned out of windows. Volodymyr Horbulin, a former secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, recounted being at work inside the academy during the attack, noting that his assistant nearby was killed and he sustained minor injuries. The facility is situated near the German Embassy, a cathedral, the national opera, and government buildings.

Denouncing the incident, the academy issued a statement condemning the attack as “Russian terror” and “barbarity” targeting peaceful workers. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha criticized the cynicism of striking a scientific institution during the workday, urging international allies to supply enhanced air defenses.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russian forces also struck a medical facility in Kyiv on Monday, adding that nationwide drone attacks left at least nine dead and over 80 wounded. In his nightly address, Zelenskyy acknowledged ongoing challenges in countering faster, high-flying Russian jet-powered drones. “New interceptors are being actively tested,” he said, noting that combat groups are utilizing them while developers work to refine effectiveness and scale. According to Zelenskyy, 90 of the 120 drones launched on Monday were jet-propelled rather than propeller-driven, achieving an interception rate of 57 percent.

Officials indicated that the strikes in Kyiv also targeted a pharmaceutical company and petrol stations, alongside civilian facilities, businesses, and communications infrastructure across various regions. In Dnipro, a drone strike on a business center killed three people and wounded 19, while another person died at a logistics office in Synelnykove. Additionally, infrastructure attacks in Zaporizhzhia wounded 32 people.

Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull, reporting from Kyiv, noted that Russia has targeted economic and digital assets in a rolling campaign lasting six days, hitting data centers and major telecommunications providers like Kyivstar and Vodafone Ukraine, leaving the government preparing for potential communications blackouts. Meanwhile, Ukraine has retaliated with strikes on Russian oil refineries and defense plants, though both sides continue to deny deliberately targeting civilians.