At least 11 people were killed across Ukraine after Russia launched a massive overnight barrage of missiles and drones that struck several cities, setting part of Kyiv’s historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex on fire.
The attack ignited the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, one of the most revered Orthodox Christian sites in Eastern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Residents in Kyiv spent much of the night rushing to shelters as air defence systems intercepted incoming missiles overhead, while burning debris rained down on parts of the capital.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the attack, describing it as one of the gravest assaults on Christian heritage since Russia launched its invasion.
“This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Zelensky said.
According to Ukrainian officials, five people were killed and 34 others injured in Kyiv, where the monastery complex suffered significant damage. The nationwide death toll later rose to 11, including five emergency workers and a civil servant killed in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Founded in the 11th century, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra holds immense religious significance for both Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox believers. Its sprawling cave system houses the relics of revered saints, while the Dormition Cathedral itself had previously been destroyed during World War II before being rebuilt in the 1990s.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones during the assault, most of them targeting Kyiv. Air defence units reportedly intercepted 50 missiles and 582 drones.
Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged carrying out what it called a “massive strike” on military targets in Kyiv, Kharkiv and the Dnipro region, but denied deliberately targeting the monastery. Moscow claimed the site was struck by a malfunctioning US-made Patriot air defence missile.
Zelensky rejected that account, saying two Russian drones had deliberately targeted the monastery district.
After visiting the damaged site, the Ukrainian leader renewed calls for stronger international action against Moscow, urging leaders gathered at the G7 summit in France to increase pressure on Russia.
“What more must the Kremlin do for the world to realise that decisive action is needed to stop Russian terror?” asked Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra has been at the centre of religious tensions since 2022, when monks linked to the Russian Orthodox Church were expelled over alleged ties to Moscow.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian drone attacks also struck Russian territory. Authorities in Russia’s Tula region, about 200 kilometres south of Moscow, said three people were killed and three others injured in a Ukrainian strike.
Zelensky disclosed that he had discussed the war with US President Donald Trump and had expressed readiness to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the United States, a proposal he said would be difficult for Moscow to reject.
Putin has repeatedly declined calls for face-to-face talks, including a recent invitation from Zelensky during the G7 summit.
Now in its fourth year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remains Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, with thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of troops killed on both sides.
As Russian strikes continue to pound Ukrainian cities, Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in a bid to weaken Moscow’s war financing.
