"She had such good taste in everything": assistant to ex-Defence Council secretary killed in Kyiv strike on Academy of Sciences
Nataliia Bukalo, an assistant to Volodymyr Horbulin, a former secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council, has been killed in a Russian drone strike on 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's gone," said Oleksandra Liashenko, a colleague of Nataliia's.
Nataliia is survived by her husband and daughter.
"Nataliia really loved everything to be in good order – from documents to logs of phone calls, conversations and schedules. And she did it in style. She had a special sense of taste in everything – everything had to be in its place, and also look elegant. And she did it so well," Oleksandra recalled. "She was such a wonderful person. Nataliia could work very fast, and she was a great organiser."
Horbulin confirmed in a comment to Suspilne that his assistant, who had been near the building, had been killed. Horbulin himself was at his workplace and sustained a minor injury.
Two sources confirmed to BBC News Ukraine that Horbulin, who is 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 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 of her colleague's death when she called her number to ask how she was.
Quote from Oleksandra: "Today I called Nataliia because an acquaintance had messaged me and asked whether everything was all right. For some reason I immediately thought of Nataliia and called her number. I was sure she would say: 'Don't worry, Oleksandra, everything's fine.' She had a slightly low voice, and it always gave you 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: 'This is her husband. Nataliia is gone.'"
Details: Oleksandra said that communication with Nataliia was always "clear, reliable and straightforward".
"She kept everything well under control, and well balanced. Nataliia could work very fast and organise processes, and she knew how to communicate and explain things: 'This is very urgent and important'," Oleksandra said.
Nataliia was particularly good at organising events. Her colleague recalled how she "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 took her work very seriously – once she was even concerned about being late for work because of an attack.
Quote from Oleksandra: "Nataliia didn't just know how to manage people, processes and projects – she knew how to manage life. This shone through in everything she did, and she did it very harmoniously.
I remember in September 2022, a missile struck at a junction nearby, damaging the Teacher's House. It was also September and also a Monday. I called Nataliia and asked how she was. And Nataliia said: 'You know, I was late for work for maybe the first time in my life – exactly ten minutes late.' And she said: 'I felt so ashamed.' Those ten minutes prevented her from being there when the Russian missile struck that location."
Background:
On the afternoon of 28 September, a Russian drone struck the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.
Education and Science Minister Andrii Butenko reported that one person was killed and several were injured in the strike.
This news has been updated since publication.
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