Russian strike damages National Academy of Sciences building in Kyiv, killing two
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A Russian strike on Sept. 28 damaged the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv, killing scientist Valerii Kotenko and Natalia Bukalo, assistant to academician Volodymyr Horbulin. Horbulin himself was injured. The attack came as Russia launched 135 drones overnight and more than 1,900 over the week, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Key Facts
- On Sept. 28, 2026, a Russian strike damaged the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv, killing scientist Valerii Kotenko and Natalia Bukalo, assistant to academician Volodymyr Horbulin.
- As of Oct. 1, 2026, at least 180 Ukrainian scientists killed during the Russian-Ukrainian war had been recorded in the public database of the “My Science” project.
- On Sept. 30, 2026, at 6:18 p.m. Kyiv time, a Russian drone struck the grounds of the Institute for Nuclear Research, where Kyiv’s VVR-M research reactor is located, causing a fire that was quickly extinguished with no injuries.
- Overnight, Russian forces launched 135 attack drones at Ukraine, more than 50 of which were jet-powered, with Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia regions under attack.
- This week Russia used more than 1,900 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 25 missiles against Ukraine, with more than 800 drones jet-powered, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Academy Strike
On Sept. 28, 2026, a Russian strike damaged the historic building of the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in central Kyiv. People were killed, wounded and reported missing, with the deaths of scientist Valerii Kotenko and Natalia Bukalo, assistant to academician Volodymyr Horbulin, later confirmed. Horbulin himself was injured in the attack. As of Oct. 1, 2026, at least 180 Ukrainian scientists killed during the Russian-Ukrainian war had been recorded in the public database of the “My Science” project. The list includes researchers, university lecturers, engineers and graduate students who died either at the front or as a result of Russian attacks.
Nuclear Research Site
According to the Institute for Nuclear Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, at 6:18 p.m. Kyiv time on Sept. 30, 2026, a Russian drone struck the grounds of the Institute for Nuclear Research, where Kyiv’s VVR-M research reactor is located. The attack caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished, and no one was injured. Investigators are conducting an investigation and assessing the damage. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine described the incident as an attack on a “peaceful nuclear facility that performs exclusively scientific and research functions.” The regulator called it “yet another cynical disregard by Russia for internationally recognized principles and standards of nuclear and radiation safety, as well as a war crime.”
Weekly Drone Barrage
Overnight, Russian forces launched 135 attack drones at Ukraine, more than 50 of which were jet-powered. Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk region, Kharkiv region, Donetsk region, Sumy region and Zaporizhzhia were under attack. This week Russia used more than 1,900 attack drones, 1,700 aerial bombs and 25 missiles against Ukraine, with more than 800 drones jet-powered, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In Sumy, a drone attack on an ordinary medical supplies warehouse killed one person, and in Dnipro, a strike on a communications enterprise injured six people. Zelenskyy said Russia must be held accountable for this escalation.
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