"She had taste in everything": assistant to ex-defence council secretary killed in Kyiv strike on Academy of Sciences
Nataliia Bukalo, an assistant to Volodymyr Horbulin, former secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, has been killed in a Russian drone strike on a building belonging to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.
Source: Oleksandra Liashenko in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life); Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne; BBC News Ukraine
Details: "I still can't process this: I just called a colleague who works in that very building, hoping, of course, to hear her voice, but instead I heard over the phone: 'This is her husband, she has been killed'," said Nataliia's colleague Oleksandra.
Nataliia is survived by her husband and daughter.
"Nataliia really loved order. She had it in everything – from documents to logs of phone calls, conversations and schedules. And that order had style. She had a special sense of taste in everything – everything had to not just be in its place, but also look elegant. And she did it so well," Oleksandra recalled. "She had such a wonderful nature. Nataliia knew how to work very fast and organise processes."
Horbulin confirmed in a comment to Suspilne that his assistant, who had been near the building, was killed. Volodymyr himself was at his workplace and sustained a minor injury.
Two sources confirmed to BBC News Ukraine that Horbulin, who serves as Vice President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, had been injured.
"The strike hit the room one floor above his office. Volodymyr Pavlovych [Horbulin] is already at home; he sustained minor injuries from shattered glass," an informed source said.
What is known about Nataliia
Oleksandra Liashenko told Ukrainska Pravda.Zhyttia (Life) that she learned about her colleague's death when she called her number to ask how she was.
Quote from Oleksandra: "Today I called Natalia because an acquaintance had messaged me beforehand and asked whether everything was all right. For some reason, I immediately thought of Natalia and called her number. I was sure she would say: 'Ms Oleksandra, don't worry, everything is fine.' She had a slightly low voice, which always gave a sense of confidence and calm. Even when she was worried, you could still see that she had this inner strength.
When I heard a man's voice, for the first second I still thought that perhaps it was a rescue worker who had picked up her phone, or one of her colleagues from the academy. But the person immediately said: 'I'm her husband. Natalia is gone.'"
Details: Oleksandra said that her colleague always maintained "clear, reliable and straightforward communication".
"She kept everything under good control, and it was measured. Natalia knew how to work very quickly, organise processes, and communicate and explain things: 'This is very urgent and important'," Liashenko said.
Nataliia was particularly good at organising events. Her colleague recalled how the woman "would tell people about events in advance, make sure everything was included in the plan, and then remind them about them very politely and tactfully".
According to Oleksandra, Nataliia was very responsible about her work – once, she was even concerned that she had been late because of an attack.
Quote from Oleksandra: "Natalia knew how to manage not just people or processes and projects – she knew how to manage life. This manifested itself in everything she did, and she did it very harmoniously.
I remember that in September 2022, a missile struck at an intersection nearby, damaging the Teacher's House. It was also September and also a Monday. I called Natalia then and asked how she was. And Natalia said: 'You know, perhaps for the first time in my life I was exactly ten minutes late for work.' And she said: 'I was so ashamed.' Those 10 minutes meant that her route did not coincide with the location where the Russian missile struck."
Background:
On the afternoon of 28 September, a Russian drone struck a building belonging to the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.
According to Education and Science Minister Andrii Butenko, one person was killed and others were injured in the strike.
This news has been updated since publication.
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