President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on X that the drone was “aimed directly at the office of the head of the Security Service” after speaking with SBU acting head Oleksandr Poklad, and he called the attack a major escalation, promising a “tangible, appropriate response.”

The strike came at a time when Russia has been using fast, jet‑powered drones more frequently during daylight hours; until recently most Russian air attacks were carried out at night, but daytime operations have risen sharply in the past week.

The SBU is vital to Ukraine’s war effort: it carries out deep strikes inside Russia, targets Russian energy infrastructure, and runs covert operations such as sabotage and alleged assassinations of senior Russian figures.

Targeting the SBU headquarters therefore shows that Russia is applying its newer daytime drone tactics to a key Ukrainian intelligence agency, highlighting a clear shift in the pattern of its attacks.