Russian Drone Strike Hits Kyiv Intelligence HQ; Zelensky Orders Retaliation

A Russian drone strike has severely damaged the main building of Ukraine's SBU intelligence service in central Kyiv, prompting President Volodymyr Zelensky to order a retaliatory strike. The attack targeted the SBU chief's office, and at least twelve people were injured. Zelensky instructed SBU chief Olexander Poklad to respond "in kind," stating the geographic scope for the counterstrike is set, with timing chosen to ensure results. The SBU confirmed destruction and threatened painful retaliation, including exposing agent networks. Foreign Minister Andrij Sybiha called it a "significant escalation" and urged UNESCO to protect cultural heritage. The blast also damaged windows of an 18th-century building at the UNESCO-listed Saint Sophia Cathedral, though the main structures were spared. The attack coincides with reported US-mediated peace efforts, with envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner planning talks in Moscow and Kyiv.