Ramzan Kadyrov vows a 'tough response' after Ukrainian drone hits skyscraper, pride of Chechnya

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said on Friday that a Ukrainian drone had struck and damaged a skyscraper in Grozny, the capital of Russia's southern Chechnya region, and vowed to retaliate within a week, Reuters reported.

In a post on the Telegram app, Kadîrov announced that the drone did not cause any casualties. He added that the attack on a building complex “doesn't make tactical sense”.

“Starting tomorrow and during the week, Ukrainian fascists will feel a harsh response,” Kadîrov wrote in a post on Telegram.

“Only, unlike them, we will not commit a cowardly attack on peaceful targets,” the Chechen leader added.

Ukrainian drones have arrived in Grozny

A Ukrainian drone struck a tall building in central Chechnya early Friday morning, causing a powerful explosion that destroyed several floors of one of the region's most iconic buildings.

Images from the scene showed that the explosion occurred in the area of ​​the 28th floor and destroyed the facade of the multi-level building. Ukrainian monitoring channel “Exilenova+” noted that the office tower is near the headquarters of the FSB in Chechnya, which may have been the initial target before the drone was possibly diverted by Russian jamming.

Explosions reported in Grozny, Russian-occupied Chechnya, near an FSB building that may have been the target. pic.twitter.com/voybHBAx9t

— WarTranslated (@wartranslated) December 5, 2025

The building is part of Groznîi City, a skyscraper complex erected as a symbol of Chechnya's post-war reconstruction, and houses several regional government agencies, including the Security Council of Chechnya, the Ministry of Tourism, the Audit Chamber, the regional election commission, the local branch of the Ministry of Justice, and the reception office of the United Russia party, among others.

The tower is about 830 meters from Ramzan Kadîrov's residence in the city center, according to the investigative agency Agentstvo.