On the Attack on the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
On 28 September 2026, the Presidium building of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv was struck by a drone during working hours. Two people lost their lives and others were injured. The Academy’s historic building was severely damaged. The Turkish Academy of Sciences condemns this attack. We extend our condolences to the families of those who died and wish a swift recovery to the injured. We share the grief of our Ukrainian colleagues.
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is not a distant institution to us. It is a sister academy with which we sit at the same table under the umbrella of ALLEA, contribute together to scientific advisory processes in Europe, and come together at the Meetings of the Presidents of Academies of Sciences of the Member States of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). The building struck in Kyiv is, for that reason, a roof we all share.
Science is the common heritage of humanity. It knows no borders and no front lines. Academies are the civilian institutions that safeguard this heritage and pass it from one generation to the next. To target an academy is to strike at a nation’s memory and its future. The conditions of war cannot excuse it. International humanitarian law clearly requires the protection of civilians, civilian structures, and scientific and cultural heritage. These rules admit no exceptions. We expect all parties to abide by them.
Where politics has reached an impasse, scientists have kept talking. The ties between academies have left a door open to dialogue even in the hardest of times. TÜBA is determined to keep that door open. We stand with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. We are ready to do our part so that our colleagues can continue their work.
We call on all parties and the international community to take responsibility for bringing this war to an end without delay. Lasting peace is built at the table, and academies have a place at that table. We are ready to contribute, in the language of science, to mutual understanding and the building of peace. A peaceful, safe and free environment for science is indispensable to the shared future of humanity.