Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Moscow of ‘deliberately’ targeting Kyiv cathedral as death toll rises to 11

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky accuses Moscow of ‘deliberately’ targeting Kyiv cathedral as death toll rises to 11

Moscow launches new wave of overnight strikes on civilian targets hours after Trump tells Putin to end war

President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of “deliberately” targeting a historic cathedral, which is also a Unesco world heritage site.

“It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located,” he wrote in a post on X on Monday.

“As of now, 35 people are reported injured in Kyiv. Across the country, 53 people have been wounded, and 11 people are known to have been killed in this massive Russian attack.”

A fire broke out after Russian airstrikes hit the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, part of a monastic complex that is protected by Unesco as one of the holiest sites in Orthodox Christianity.

The leader of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine denounced Vladimir Putin as the “Kremlin Antichrist” after the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex.

Photos after the overnight attack showed large parts of the cathedral were still on fire, and Kyiv’s military administration head Tymur Tkachenko said the damage at the complex was substantial.

Earlier, Donald Trump spoke on the phone with Vladimir Putin, telling him that ending the conflict in Ukraine was vital and he is ready to help.

Metropolitan Epifaniy calls out 'anti-Christ' Putin after attack on Kyiv monastery

The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine has condemned Russia's attack on a major cathedral in Kyiv, calling Vladimir Putin the "Kremlin Antichrist".

“Due to the Russian shelling that is currently taking place, on the night of 15 June, the roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world – the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra – is burning,” Metropolitan Epifaniy said on X, calling the attack “another Russian crime against humanity, against history and against Christianity”.

“What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken so that the Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace comes to an end?” he asked.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 12:21

Trump's former Ukraine envoy says Putin's attack on monastery 'makes no sense'

The former US special envoy for Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, has condemned the Russian attack on Kyiv’s monastery and said it is like the bombing of St Paul's Cathedral in 1940 by Nazi Germany.

“This attack tonight on the Monastery by the Russians in Kyiv makes no sense. It has a parallel with the bombing of London’s St. Paul’s in 1940 by the Germans. It won’t work,” Kellogg said on X.

He added: “Someone tell me the military necessity of the Russian attack. There is none.”

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 11:51

Bridges connecting Russia-occupied Kherson region with Crimea hit by attack

At least two bridges ⁠connecting the Russian-held part of Ukraine's Kherson ⁠region ​with ⁠Crimea were damaged ⁠and traffic suspended ​by ⁠an ‌overnight drone attack by Ukraine, ‌the Russian-installed governor ‌Vladimir Saldo said ⁠on Telegram this morning.

The bridge was one of the few connectivity options for Russian forces to supply their troops with manpower and ammunition. It is not yet clear how badly Russia's military operations in Ukraine's east will be impacted due to the attack.

The illegally-annexed Crimea peninsula has faced a fuel ‌supply crisis after ​intensifying ‌attacks.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 11:21

Zelensky visits the Kyiv monastery attacked by Russia overnight

Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky was accompanied by the Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Ukrainian minister of internal affairs Ihor Klymenko as they visit the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes in Kyiv.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 10:51

Trump tells Putin it is ‘vital’ he end Ukraine war and offers to help broker peace in hour-long call

US president Donald Trump told Russian president Vladimir Putin on Sunday that ending the conflict ​in Ukraine was vital and he was ready to help, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri ‌Ushakov said.

Ushakov, who said the two leaders spoke for 55 minutes, also said Trump told Putin that an agreement on ending the conflict in Iran was close.

"As regards the Ukrainian conflict, Donald Trump again emphasised that a cessation ​of hostilities was vital," Ushakov told journalists in comments posted on the Kremlin website.

"He ​said he was ready to act with European partners and Kyiv, including in ⁠talks at the G7 summit," he added, referring to the summit of G7 industrialised countries ​this week in the French resort of Evian.

He also quoted Trump as saying that a rapid ​resolution would allow "perspectives to open for a new quality of US-Russian relations.

Trump tells Putin to end Ukraine war and offers to help broker peace

Trump tells Russian leader an end to Ukrainian conflict could herald ‘new quality of US-Russia ties’

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 10:21

Poland scrambles fighter jets in response to Russia's missile and drone attack

Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, a European Union ‌and Nato member, has scrambled its fighter jets and put ground-based air ‌defence systems and radar reconnaissance on a state of readiness, Poland's Armed Forces said in a post on X.

Most of Ukraine's territory was under air raid warnings in the early hours of Monday and Ukrainian drones were being repelled over Russia as both countries continue to exchange strikes.

Just minutes ago, Poland’s armed forces said they have ended the operations.

“Operations of military aviation in our airspace, related to strikes by Russia on Ukraine, have been concluded,” it said on X.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 10:21

Russia launches 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight on Ukraine

Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones at Ukraine overnight, the Ukrainian military said this morning.

The ‌military said on ‌Telegram that ‌according to ⁠preliminary data, Ukrainian air defences shot down 50 missiles and ‌582 ​drones ‌of various ⁠types.

At least nine people have been killed and dozens have been wounded as a result of these strikes, officials said.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 09:51

Watch: Historic Kyiv cathedral catches fire after Russian strike

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 09:21

Russia denies responsibility for attacking Kyiv monastery, blames US-made Patriot missile

Russia has claimed that it did not strike the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv in an overnight attack on military factories in the Ukrainian capital and that a US-made Patriot air defence missile had damaged the religious site.

The Unesco World Heritage site caught ⁠fire overnight on Monday amid ​the ⁠heaviest Russian air attack on the Ukrainian capital in two weeks.

Moscow ⁠said its attack had targeted and struck ​drone ⁠manufacturing facilities, while ‌Ukraine and many Western countries accused Russia of striking the monastery.

“According to confirmed reports, the complex ‌of buildings at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was ​struck by a missile from ‌the American Patriot air ⁠defence system. One possible reason for ⁠the malfunction of this system could be that Western ‌countries supplied the ​Kyiv regime with missiles ‌that had expired," the Russian defence ministry claimed.

“The armed forces of the Russian Federation do not plan or carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure," the defence ministry said in a statement.

Kyiv is yet to respond to the claims from Russia.

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 08:51

Why a bleak poll on Russia’s economy spells bad news for Putin as war in Ukraine bites

Russian citizens are growing increasingly critical of Vladimir Putin’s economic policies, new polling has found, as Ukrainian attacks and European sanctions continue to squeeze Moscow’s finances.

Poorer Russians tend to be more critical of economic policies, while wealthier citizens tend to be more loyal to the regime, the study found.

One-third of Russians have a negative view of how Putin’s economic policies are impacting the economy, whereas 15 per cent believe his policies are having a positive effect, according to new polling by NEST Centre.

More than one-third of respondents believe the economy has deteriorated in the past three months, while one in five have a negative overall assessment of the state of the economy.

Why a bleak poll on Russia’s economy spells bad news for Putin

As EU sanctions and Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure take their toll, Russian citizens are increasingly feeling the squeeze

Arpan Rai15 June 2026 08:39