A Russian drone attacked the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) headquarters in Kyiv on September 4, 2026, directly hitting the office of acting director Oleksandr Poklad, according to multiple sources [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. This was the first attack on the SBU headquarters since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7].

Oleksandr Poklad was not in the building at the time and was unharmed [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]. The strike caused thick black smoke to rise from the SBU building located near the UNESCO World Heritage site of St. Sophia Cathedral in downtown Kyiv [1, 4, 8, 6].

Reports on the number of people injured vary. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said at least 12 were hurt but did not clarify whether all were inside the SBU headquarters. Other sources mention between 5 and 7 injured [1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 9, 5, 6, 7].

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack, saying, "Unfortunately, a Russian drone hit the central building of the Security Service in Kyiv, right across from St. Sophia Cathedral. The drone directly targeted the director's office," and ordered the SBU to mount an "appropriate and substantial response" to Russia [1].

Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga called the strike a "major escalation" demanding a firm response and urged Ukraine’s international partners to increase pressure on the Putin regime [6].

The attack is part of an intensified Russian campaign involving faster, jet-powered drones that are harder for Ukraine’s limited Patriot missile systems to intercept [6, 7]. It occurred just before U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were due to arrive in Moscow and Kyiv for peace negotiations [1, 2, 3, 10, 4, 6, 7]. Trump stated the envoys bring a plan aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war [11].

Separately, Russian airstrikes in the southeastern Ukrainian city of Kamianske on the same day killed 4 people and injured 5, including a 30-year-old woman in intensive care, amid ongoing fighting and peace talks [11, 12, 10]. According to Oleksandr Ganzha, "After the Russian airstrike on Kamianske, 4 people died and 5 were injured; one 30-year-old woman’s injuries were serious enough to require ICU treatment" [11].

U.S. envoys Witkoff and Kushner are expected to arrive in Moscow and Kyiv on September 6 to begin negotiations [1, 2, 3, 10, 4, 6, 7].