During the shelling of Kyiv on June 23, 2025, the Main Astronomical Observatory of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was damaged.
This was reported by astrophysicist and senior researcher at the observatory, Daria Dobrycheva, to Universe Space Tech.
The blast wave shattered windows in the main building of the observatory. Doors were also damaged in the building that houses the horizontal solar telescope ACU-5, which is used to study the Sun’s spectrum and its atmosphere.
Metal cube-like shrapnel was found on the observatory grounds after the attack, identified as fragments of the warhead from a Shahed-type drone. These fragments are designed for maximum damage and scatter at high speeds after detonation.
Preliminary information indicates that none of the observatory’s staff were injured. It was also reported that the scientific equipment remains intact. An inventory and damage assessment are currently underway.
As a reminder, 9 people were killed in Kyiv as a result of the massive overnight attack on June 23.
