Slovakia summons Russian ambassador over Kyiv strike near its embassy

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár has summoned the Russian ambassador over a Russian drone strike on the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) building in central Kyiv, located near the Slovak embassy's consular section. He strongly condemned the attack and urged Russia to avoid actions endangering civilians. Blanár stated the consular section was used to a limited extent and no one was present at the time. He appealed to both sides to avoid further escalation. The strike hit the office of acting SBU chief Oleksandr Poklad, who was not there, and wounded five people, according to Kyiv's mayor. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the attack and promised retaliation. The Slovak government under Prime Minister Robert Fico has rarely criticized Russia publicly, having halted state military aid to Ukraine after taking office in autumn 2023.