Russian drone strikes Kyiv nuclear institute housing research reactor

A Russian drone attacked the Institute for Nuclear Research in Kyiv on September 30, destroying a research nuclear reactor, Ukraine's State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate reported on October 1. The strike, around 6:18 p.m. local time, sparked a brief fire which was quickly put out. No one was harmed in the attack, according to the regulator.

The VVR-M research reactor and safety systems were not harmed, with radiation levels remaining within normal background limits of 0.16-0.20 microsieverts per hour. The reactor has been offline since February 2022, used only for safety system maintenance. Located within the National Academy of Sciences, the institute studies nuclear physics, atomic energy, and radioecology.

The drone attack on the peaceful nuclear facility is the latest incident putting a Ukrainian nuclear site at risk. Russian strikes have repeatedly threatened the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and its electricity supply infrastructure. The June 2026 Chornobyl drone strike damaged a spent nuclear fuel storage facility. Recent weeks have seen a surge in Russian drone attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities, targeting residential areas, businesses, transport infrastructure, and civilian sites.

On October 1, Russian drones struck Kyiv's Southern Bridge while cars and a metro train crossed it. Earlier, Russia launched its first large-scale attack on Kyiv's energy infrastructure since the previous heating season, causing emergency power outages.