Russia Strikes SBU Headquarters as US Envoys Plan Visit

Russian forces launched a series of massive aerial assaults across Ukraine on September 4 and 5, 2026, culminating in a targeted drone strike on the headquarters of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in central Kyiv. The attack specifically targeted the office of SBU head Oleksandr Poklad, who survived. The strike injured up to 12 people and damaged buildings near the UNESCO-listed St. Sophia Cathedral. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy characterized the event as a major escalation and ordered a proportional response.

Other Russian strikes targeted the Coca-Cola production plant in Brovary, which Zelenskyy called a "clear Russian signal to America," as well as logistics centers in the Kyiv region and port facilities in Yuzhny and Chernomorsk. Overnight attacks on September 5 killed at least four people at an industrial enterprise in Kamianske and injured others in Boryspil. In response, Ukraine launched drone attacks against Russian oil depots in Sochi and Sirius, and targeted the Avangard defense plant in Sterlitamak.

These escalations occurred as US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner prepared to visit Moscow and Kyiv to present a proposal to end the war. Zelenskyy proposed a temporary ceasefire and pledged that Ukraine would halt air attacks to ensure the envoys' safe arrival, urging Russia to do the same. However, he later claimed that Russian strikes on Kyiv and Boryspil airports were a direct reaction to the planned American diplomatic travel.