Russian Drone Attack on Kyiv Damages Historic Landmarks, Including National Writers' Union

On January 1, Russian forces launched a drone attack on Kyiv, causing casualties and damaging two architectural landmarks: the National Writers' Union of Ukraine building and the 1941 House of the Council of People's Commissars.

The damage to the National Writers' Union of Ukraine building was reported by the press service of the Union on Facebook.

“As a result of the Russian Shahed drone attack on the morning of January 1, the House of Writers of Ukraine sustained damage: nearly all windows were shattered, parts of the facade were damaged, and some offices inside the building were affected. Fortunately, there were no casualties,” the statement read.

“Today’s New Year’s greeting from the Russians is especially cruel. The House of Writers of Ukraine has been left without a single window—83 in total—following this morning’s enemy attack on the capital. Doors, walls, and ceilings are destroyed. This historic building, an architectural landmark and our writers’ home, is now in ruins,” wrote author and Union member Tetiana Folvarochna.

Another building damaged in the New Year’s attack on Kyiv was the 1941 Soviet Council of People's Commissars building, the activist Dmytro Perov reported.

In 2006, the building was added to Ukraine’s State Register of Immovable Monuments.

“The structure is a valuable example of interwar architecture, reflecting the development of architectural thought during that period. It is a key element of the street’s architectural ensemble and one of its defining landmarks,” said Perov.

The building sustained significant damage, with the top two floors and its decorative tower destroyed.

During the drone attack on Kyiv on January 1, Dr. Ihor Zyma, a prominent Ukrainian scientist and doctor of biological sciences, was killed along with his family. The attack claimed the lives of his wife and their pet cat.