In the late afternoon, a Russian-made drone attacked the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, setting the historic institution ablaze and tragically killing one person while leaving three others injured.
Footage circulating online shows residents and scholars simply leaning out of windows, scrambling for escape routes as firefighters worked tirelessly to assist them in the smoke‑filled chaos.
The blaze produced a towering plume of black smoke that darkened the surrounding skyline, prompting emergency responders from the local fire department to coordinate an urgent evacuation and firefighting operation.
BBC diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams was on the scene to report the unfolding disaster, documenting the efforts of Ukrainian emergency services to overcome an unprecedented attack on cultural heritage.
