Historic Kyiv Monastery Catches Fire Amidst Major Russian Missile Attack
Quick Look
- A massive Russian missile and drone attack overnight caused a fire at Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra monastery, damaging the Dormition Cathedral.
- At least nine people were killed across Ukraine, including five rescue workers in Kharkiv.
- Kyiv reported significant destruction and power outages affecting 140,000 residents.
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Why It Matters
Russia launched a major missile attack on Ukraine overnight, causing a fire at the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv and resulting in casualties and infrastructure damage.
The grounds of a historic Kyiv monastery caught fire after Russia launched a major missile attack on several cities in Ukraine overnight, the heaviest Russian air attack on the capital in two weeks, Ukrainian officials said Monday.
The Ukrainian military said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones on the country. Citing preliminary data, it said air defense shot down 50 missiles and 582 drones.
At least nine were killed.
What do we know about the attack on the Pechersk Lavra monastery?
The strikes sparked a blaze on the roof of the capital's historic Dormition Cathedral within the UNESCO-protected Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
"A brutal assault on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia's Orthodox values," Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko wrote on X, calling the site a "priceless cultural landmark".
She shared a video purportedly showing the top of the cathedral building engulfed in flames.
Other visuals showed a gaping hole on one side of the church.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, accused Russia of deliberately striking "the heart of one of the largest Christian shrines."
Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, denounced the attack as another Moscow "crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity".
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery was founded in 1051 and is a prominent symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history.
It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990.
The monastery complex, adorned by golden domes, is home to a sprawling labyrinthine of underground caves.
Ukraine reports large-scale Russian attacks on Kharkiv
Air raid sirens echoed through much of Ukraine in the early hours of Monday as Russia mounted its latest strikes.
Five rescue workers were killed in Kharkiv during firefighting operations, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said.
He added that at least nine others were wounded.
In Kyiv, a series of powerful explosions were heard across the capital as residents sought shelter underground.
"Kyiv is under the main strike. There is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure," Klymenko said.
Mayor Vitali Klitschko said strikes were reported in three districts of Kyiv, with at least 23 injuries.
The attack damaged electricity lines, leaving some 140,000 Kyiv residents in the dark, according to Kyiv authorities.
Russia says repelling Ukraine drones
Russia on Monday also reported a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian city of Tula, which lies around 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Moscow,
Three people were killed and three others were injured in the attack, regional governor Dmitry Milyaev said in a statement.
Moscow was also fending off a drone attack overnight, its mayor said.
Both Ukraine and Russia deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in the war that has spanned over four years.
Edited by: Rana Taha
Open Questions
- Was the monastery deliberately targeted?
- What is the full extent of the damage to the monastery?
- Will there be international repercussions for targeting a UNESCO site?
