Drone hits Ukraine's Academy of Sciences in Kyiv
The attack damaged the main building of Ukraine's Academy of Sciences and, according to the institution, killed two people.
A jet-powered drone struck the building of Ukraine's Academy of Sciences in central Kyiv on 28 September. The academy reported two deaths and heavy damage; Ukrainian authorities attributed the attack to Russia.
The damaged building is the headquarters of the presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. According to the academy, several parts of the building were damaged. Associated Press also reported that the wider attack on Kyiv and other places in Ukraine had killed at least seven people and injured more than 80, according to officials.
The academy is not merely an administrative office. It coordinates a large network of research institutes and is regarded as one of Ukraine's most important scientific institutions. The building on Volodymyrska Street has been associated with the academy for more than a century.
The Ukrainian academy says its institutes intend to continue their research. The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine expressed support and said they were prepared to continue helping Ukrainian researchers. This shifts attention directly from the damage to one building to the question of how scientific infrastructure can be preserved during a war.
The public sources document the immediate damage and the Ukrainian attribution, but do not provide an independently verified picture of the military target of the attack. The academy and the Ukrainian president refer to a Russian drone; AP likewise describes the attack as part of Russian bombardments.
For researchers, damage to a central institution could mean the loss of workplaces, archives, equipment and coordination. The scale of those consequences is not yet known. It is also still unclear which areas of research can temporarily be accommodated elsewhere.
The attack therefore highlights a broader vulnerability of science in wartime. International support can consist of funding, temporary workplaces, data protection and cooperation with researchers who have fled. Such measures will not repair the damage, but they may prevent an attack from also paralysing knowledge and research networks for a prolonged period.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The main building of Ukraine's Academy of Sciences was hit.
- The academy reports two deaths and considerable damage.
- Ukrainian authorities attribute the attack to Russia.
- International academies have expressed support for Ukrainian researchers.
Left
Arguments The attack shows that science and civilian infrastructure need protection and international solidarity. European countries should provide structural support for Ukrainian researchers, data and institutions and investigate possible violations of the laws of war.
Values International rule of law, solidarity and protection of public knowledge.
Consequences More support could improve research continuity and reconstruction, but would require long-term public funding and political willingness.
Centre
Arguments The institutional priority is continuity: assess the damage, protect collections and data, and relocate research where necessary. Political conclusions about deliberate targeting should wait for an independent investigation.
Values Factuality, continuity and rule-of-law prudence.
Consequences A step-by-step approach may be less immediately visible, but reduces the risk of unsubstantiated accusations and wasted aid.
Right
Arguments The attack underlines that without sufficient military protection, Ukraine cannot safeguard knowledge institutions either. Alongside humanitarian and scientific support, this perspective considers strengthening air defence and deterrence necessary.
Values Security, resilience and responsibility for national defence.
Consequences Greater defence efforts could limit future damage, but may divert resources and attention from civilian reconstruction.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The text makes clear which information comes from Ukrainian institutions and which facts were reported by AP. Non-verifiable claims about the purpose of the attack have deliberately not been presented as fact.
- confirmed The building of Ukraine's Academy of Sciences was hit by a jet-powered drone on 28 September. — This was reported by the Ukrainian academy and the Ukrainian presidential website. source
- confirmed The academy reports two deaths and considerable damage to the presidium building. — The academy states both facts in its statement. source
- confirmed The wider attack caused at least seven deaths and more than 80 injuries, according to AP. — AP reports these figures based on Ukrainian officials. source
- confirmed The US National Academies expressed support for Ukrainian researchers. — This is stated in their statement of 28 September. source
- confirmed The attack's precise military purpose has not been independently established. — The public sources consulted describe the strike and attribution, but not an independently established target. source
Editor's note
The damage, the two deaths reported by the academy and the international support can be verified. The attack's precise military purpose and its ultimate consequences for research have not yet been established.Sources
- Russian terror against Ukrainian science: statement of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine — National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
- Russian drones hammer apartments, offices and a cultural landmark in Ukraine, killing 7 — Associated Press
- U.S. National Academies Presidents Comment on Attack on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine — U.S. National Academies
More on this in Dutch media
- NRC — „oekraïne kyiv”
- NU.nl — „oekraïne kyiv”
- De Telegraaf — „oekraïne kyiv”