Very high tension between Russia and Ukraine. This afternoon, Friday 4 September, a Russian drone hit the headquarters of the Ukrainian intelligence services in the center of Kiev.
Zelensky’s post
This was announced via social media by the Ukrainian president himself, Volodymyr Zelensky, who reported that he had spoken with the head of the Security Service (SBU), Oleksandr Poklad, confirming that the latter survived the attack: “Unfortunately, a Russian drone hit the central building of the SBU in Volodymyrska Street in Kiev, in front of the Saint Sophia Cathedral”.
“All emergency services are on site – he wrote on Some people were injured, at least nine according to an initial provisional estimate. Seven of them required hospitalization, as explained by the mayor of Kiev, Vitaliy Klitschko.
The images on social media
In a video made after the attack and posted by the UNIAN agency, smoke can only be seen coming out of one window of the building, which otherwise appears intact: a detail that seems to confirm the hypothesis of a targeted attack. Faced with the raid, Kiev’s reaction will not be long in coming. Zelensky said he had given orders to the head of the SBU to “respond adequately, significantly and, if possible, proportionally to the Russian attack”: “I have instructed Poklad to give the Russians an adequate and concrete and, where possible, response of equal magnitude to this attack, as soon as everything is ready. Our armed forces will support this response.”
Shortly afterwards, again on
“Serious escalation”
The episode immediately triggered harsh political reactions. Also on
The head of Ukrainian diplomacy then issued a warning for the risks faced by the capital’s cultural heritage: “The nearby Hagia Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site, has also been put at risk. We ask international partners to unreservedly condemn these actions and to intensify pressure on Putin’s regime. We also urge UNESCO to react decisively and intensify its efforts to protect the heritage in danger in Ukraine”.
Witkoff and Kushner in Ukraine
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, could travel to Ukraine “in the next few days”. Zelensky again anticipated this, specifying that provisional dates have already been identified for the visit to Kiev and that the Ukrainian side is preparing for the meetings. This would be the first visit to Ukraine for the two envoys, after several trips to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials. “We expect to see representatives of the President of the United States here in Kiev. We expect the meeting to take place in the next few days,” Zelensky said in a video message. “It is very important. It is important that the United States remains active. We are ready to meet them in Ukraine, at the appropriate level and for substantive discussions.”
The Ukrainian president also assured that there will be no attacks during the visit of the two American emissaries, asking the same of Moscow: “As has already happened during the previous diplomatic visits of the American delegation, we will guarantee the normal functioning of Russian airspace so that the negotiators can arrive safely. We are concerned about their safety, not that of Russia. For our part there will be no air attacks and Russia will also have to mutually guarantee a pause in air attacks for as long as is necessary for the holding of the talks and the management of logistical issues related to this American visit.”