Photo: Journalists show what the Russian Embassy in Kyiv looks like five years into the war
The building of the former Russian Embassy in Kyiv has not been used as a diplomatic mission for more than four years. The grounds of the complex at 27 Povitryanikh Sil Avenue are overgrown with trees and bushes, and trash and abandoned items are visible behind the fence. At the same time, the property remains under security guard and is equipped with numerous surveillance cameras.
The area around the building at 27 Povitryanikh Sil Avenue looks neglected. Over the years, the trees and bushes have grown significantly and, in some places, block a large portion of the inner courtyard.
Trash and scattered items can be seen beyond the fence. A similar situation is observed at the rear of the building—the back yard is also overgrown with vegetation, and remnants of trash are visible beyond the fence.
However, the area is not completely abandoned.
A fence surrounds the complex, and security guards continue to be stationed near the building. Numerous surveillance cameras are also installed on the building itself and around the perimeter of the grounds.
Ukraine severed diplomatic relations with Russia on February 24, 2022, following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In April 2023, the Kyiv City Council terminated the lease agreement for a 0.3984-hectare plot of land on which the former Russian embassy complex is located.
Since then, the question of the building’s future use has remained unresolved. The complex itself has effectively been mothballed, and the grounds remain fenced off and under guard.
This year, the former Russian Embassy in Ukraine also became a party to a court case related to electricity debt.
On April 21, the Kyiv Commercial Court opened proceedings in Case No. 910/3773/26 based on a lawsuit filed by Kyiv Energy Services LLC against the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
The plaintiff sought to recover 807,444.71 UAH in arrears.
On July 13, the Kyiv Commercial Court fully granted the claim filed by Kyiv Energy Services LLC against the Embassy of the Russian Federation.
The court ordered the defendant to pay 807,444.71 UAH, which included the debt, late payment penalties, 3% annual interest, and inflation-related losses.
In addition, 9,689.34 UAH in court fees was separately collected from the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
The court’s decision states that a representative of the Russian Embassy did not appear at the court hearing and did not file a response to the lawsuit.
Thus, the former Russian diplomatic mission in central Kyiv remains fenced off—surrounded by overgrown vegetation and debris, but under guard.
Although the Kyiv City Council terminated the land lease agreement back in April 2023, the question of the future use of the former Russian Embassy building remains unresolved.
A “Glavkom” journalist visited the site of the former Russian embassy and documented the current state of the property.
As a reminder, Russia is significantly increasing its use of rocket-powered drones in attacks on Ukraine. While the occupiers used about 350 such UAVs in June, that number rose to approximately 3,500 in September.
The automated turrets used in Ukraine’s air defense system shoot down only a portion of the rocket-powered “suicide drones.” The primary success in combating such drones comes from the integrated use of various air defense systems.
More than 12 Ukrainian-made Sky Sentinel 50-caliber automatic turrets have been installed in Kyiv. Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat confirmed that these systems have already been deployed on combat duty. According to him, there are also confirmed cases of jet-powered drones being destroyed using these turrets.
