British Council office, several bookstores, media offices and newsrooms damaged during night attack on Kyiv

As a result of Russia’s massive combined attack on Kyiv during the night of Aug 27–28, 2025, the offices of the British Council Ukraine, the Readeat and Knigoland bookstores, and the newsrooms of Ukrainska Pravda and Radio Liberty sustained damage, along with the building of the European Union Delegation.

Readeat owner Dmytro Feliksov reported this on his Facebook page. “Only the windows were shattered. The bookstore, its equipment, and books are now covered in dust and dirt, which we will clean up in the coming hours,” he wrote. 

Feliksov noted that the bookstore reopened the same day at 11:00 a.m. “Our condolences go to the victims and the families of those killed last night. Thank you to the defense forces, who are doing everything possible to protect us from even more devastating consequences,” he added. 

The Knigoland bookstore in the capital was also damaged.

“Our bookstore at Olimpiiska was hit by the blast wave last night: broken windows, damaged premises, and ruined books. We extend our sincere condolences to all who suffered last night — we are with you and embrace you tightly,” the store reported. They also noted that the bookstore continues to operate. 

British Council Ukraine reported that its Kyiv office had sustained significant damage and would remain closed to visitors until further notice. “Despite possible delays in responses, we continue our work with Ukrainian partners in the fields of education and culture. We can be reached via email,” the organization noted.

The office of Ukrainska Pravda, located in a business center in the capital, was also affected. According to the editorial team, the building was damaged, though none of the staff were injured. The media outlet continues to operate as usual.

The newsroom of Radio Liberty (Radio Svoboda) also sustained serious damage: windows were shattered in parts of the premises, and equipment was damaged. Fortunately, no staff members were harmed. “Although the Radio Liberty office suffered damage, we are fortunate that none of our staff were injured. Rest assured, our journalists will continue their vital work. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed and injured in these attacks, as well as with Ukraine’s rescuers,” said Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty President Stephen Capus. According to the media outlet, the destruction was caused by two direct hits from Russian missiles on civilian infrastructure near the office.

Nearby, the building of the European Union Delegation to Ukraine was also damaged. European Council President António Costa condemned the attack: “My thoughts are with the Ukrainian victims and also with the staff of @EUDelegationUA, whose building was damaged in this deliberate Russian strike. The EU will not be intimidated. Russia’s aggression,” he wrote on X. 

On the night of Aug 28, Russian forces launched a massive attack on Ukraine, using 31 missiles and 598 drones. Kyiv was among the targets. In the capital, 18 people were killed and 45 injured in the strikes. More than 20 sites in seven districts of the city were damaged. Among the dead and injured were children. 

Kyiv declared August 29 a Day of Mourning for the victims.

As reported earlier, the Book.ua bookstore in Kyiv was also damaged by a Russian strike. On June 3, 2025, a Russian attack on the outskirts of Kharkiv destroyed a pallet of new books from the Ukrainian publishing house Krokus at a Nova Poshta terminal. 

On the night of February 28 to March 1, the Russian army carried out at least nine drone strikes across three districts of Kharkiv. Among the damaged buildings were KnyhoLand and Family Leisure Club bookstores, as well as the Triada-Pak printing house.

RELATED: Under Russian attack: Buildings of the Sumy State University and the library damaged

Images: Dmytro Feliksov’s Facebook page

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn