Russian Drone Strikes Escalate Across Ukraine

Russian forces struck Kyiv again on Tuesday, hours after a drone attack on Ukraine’s National Academy of Sciences killed at least two people. The earlier strike hit the academy in the historic centre during the workday, setting part of the building ablaze. Among those affected was former Ukrainian security official Volodymyr Horbulin, who said his assistant was killed and he was slightly wounded. Ukraine’s foreign minister condemned the attack and called on allies to supply more air defences. The attacks come amid Russia’s increased use of faster, jet-powered drones, which Ukraine says are harder to intercept. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that 90 of 120 drones fired on Monday were jet-propelled and said the interception rate for that type was 57 percent. He also said strikes across Ukraine had killed at least nine people and wounded more than 80, while new interceptor systems were being tested and refined. Russian attacks have also hit a medical facility, a pharmaceutical company, petrol stations, businesses and communications infrastructure. In Dnipro, a strike on a business centre killed three people and wounded 19; another person was killed in Synelnykove, and 32 people were wounded in an attack on infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia. Al Jazeera’s correspondent described a six-day series of Russian strikes on economic targets, including data centres and mobile providers, and said Ukraine’s government was preparing for the possibility of a communications blackout. Ukraine, meanwhile, has stepped up attacks on Russian oil facilities and other targets. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck oil facilities in the Krasnodar region and two defence plants. Both countries deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Russian drone attacks struck Kyiv and several other Ukrainian cities on Monday, killing nine people and injuring more than 80 across the country, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In central Kyiv, two people were killed when a drone hit the National Academy of Sciences building; Mayor Vitali Klitschko said 24 people were injured in attacks on the capital, with six receiving hospital treatment. Strikes also hit a business centre in Dnipro, where three people were killed, and a logistics office in Synelnykove, where one person died. An attack on infrastructure in Zaporizhzhia injured 32 people. Officials also reported damage to civilian facilities and businesses in multiple regions. The attacks were part of an increasingly persistent aerial campaign. Zelenskyy said 90 of the 120 drones launched at Ukraine were jet-powered, and that Ukraine intercepted 57 per cent of them. The faster, high-flying drones are proving difficult for Ukrainian defences to stop. New interceptor systems are being tested, but Zelenskyy said they still need improvements before they can be used effectively at scale. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the strike on the science academy and urged allies to provide more air defences. Zelenskyy also cited Ukrainian intelligence reporting that Russia was expanding military recruitment, and said North Korean troops remained in Russia, with more being trained. Russian President Vladimir Putin rejected claims that Moscow was ordering a new mobilization. The article notes that Russia has recently widened attacks on economic targets, including data centres and telecommunications facilities, while Ukraine has also targeted Russian oil infrastructure and defence plants. Both countries deny deliberately targeting civilians. Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least seven people and wounded more than 50, according to officials. In Kyiv, a woman was killed when a strike hit the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in the central Shevchenkivskyi district. Russian forces also struck a pharmaceutical company and gas stations in the capital. A drone attack on an office center in Dnipro killed three people and wounded at least 12, while a strike on a residential building in Kharkiv wounded 43, including 11 children. Further attacks damaged civilian and commercial sites, including a postal distribution hub in Odesa and vessels in the Black Sea and at Chornomorsk. Russia says it targets military-related locations; the article notes that its aerial attacks regularly hit civilian areas. The attacks came after a week of U.N. diplomatic efforts focused on possible negotiations. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said a quick peace settlement appeared unlikely and warned Ukraine would pay a price. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused Europe of obstructing peace talks, framing the issue as a rift between Europe and the Trump administration. On the battlefield, Ukraine’s Third Army Corps said its Operation Vivaldi offensive had recaptured 68 square miles in Donetsk, including 20 square miles recently, using converted armored vehicles and ground robots. Russia claimed to have captured two villages; neither side’s claims could be independently verified. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian long-range strikes hit defense plants and oil facilities in Russia. Russian authorities reported fires at three infrastructure sites in Krasnodar and said air defenses downed 254 Ukrainian drones overnight.

Russian strikes hit Kyiv and several other Ukrainian regions on Sept. 29, causing deaths, injuries and damage to civilian, cultural and industrial sites. In the capital, a drone struck the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv’s historic centre. Volodymyr Gorbulin, a former Ukrainian national security official who was at work there, said he was slightly wounded; his assistant was killed. The academy condemned the attack as “Russian terror” and said it targeted people at work as well as Ukrainian science, education and culture. President Volodymyr Zelensky also reported a strike on a medical facility in Kyiv. The attacks extended across the country. Four people were killed and at least 19 wounded at a business centre in Dnipro, while a residential area in Kharkiv was hit, with fatalities reported. Strikes damaged an ice cream factory in the Zhytomyr region and homes in Sumy, Rivne and Odesa. In Zaporizhzhia, 30 civilians were wounded, three seriously. A faster jet-powered Russian drone had also damaged a border checkpoint near Poland on Sept. 28. The article says Russia is using newer jet-powered drones that are harder to intercept than models based on Iranian Shahed drones. Zelensky has renewed calls for greater Western military support, including US-made Patriot interceptors to counter ballistic missiles. Prime Minister Sergiy Koretsky said delayed foreign aid would force Ukraine to postpone some spending, including reconstruction. With winter approaching, officials are concerned about power and heating outages and pressure on emergency services. After attacks on energy infrastructure in 2025 left people without power and heating in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius, Koretsky suggested vulnerable residents consider relocating for winter. He described requiring all city residents to leave as an extreme measure, but said people needing extra assistance should find alternative accommodation so emergency services can focus on the consequences of further strikes.