Russian forces struck the National Academy of Sciences building in central Kyiv with a jet-powered drone on Monday, killing two people and setting the historic structure ablaze.

Emergency crews responded to the scene in the Shevchenkivskyi district, where flames engulfed parts of the building and rubble covered the courtyard. Rescue workers used ladders to help people escape from upper floors as thick smoke billowed into the sky. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that 24 people were injured in attacks on the capital throughout the day, with six requiring hospital treatment.

The strike formed part of a larger wave of Russian drone attacks across Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that nine people died and more than 80 were injured nationwide from the assaults. Other strikes hit locations in Dnipro, Kharkiv, and additional areas, with reports of damage to offices, medical facilities, and residential buildings.

Officials described the use of faster, high-flying jet drones in recent weeks as a shift in Russian tactics targeting the capital. The academy, home to Ukraine's leading scientific research organization, sits near government buildings and the German embassy. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha condemned the choice of target during working hours.

Firefighters continued operations into the evening to extinguish the blaze and search for anyone trapped in the wreckage. The incident marked another instance of Russian strikes hitting civilian and institutional sites in Kyiv amid the ongoing conflict.