Russian forces unleashed a massive overnight missile and drone assault on Ukraine early Monday, killing at least 11 people and triggering a fire at one of Kyiv’s most treasured religious landmarks, the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery.
The attack damaged the roof of the monastery’s Dormition Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, prompting fresh condemnation from Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, who described it as one of Russia’s gravest attacks on Christian heritage.
AFP journalists in Kyiv reported seeing residents rushing into shelters as air defence systems intercepted missiles and drones, with burning debris falling across parts of the capital throughout the night.
Following the attack, Zelensky urged G7 leaders meeting in France to intensify pressure on Moscow. He also disclosed that he had informed U.S. President, Donald Trump of his willingness to meet Russian President, Vladimir Putin in the United States, saying it would be an offer the Kremlin leader would find “harder to refuse.”
The strikes claimed the lives of five people and left 34 others injured in Kyiv. A fire also broke out within the grounds of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, engulfing the roof of the Dormition Cathedral.
“This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
Founded in the 11th century, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is regarded as one of the most sacred Orthodox Christian sites by both Ukrainians and Russians.
Russia’s Defence Ministry acknowledged carrying out what it described as a “massive strike” on military facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and the Dnipro region. However, it denied deliberately targeting the monastery, claiming the damage was caused by an outdated U.S.-made Patriot air defence missile.
Zelensky rejected the claim, insisting that two Russian drones deliberately struck the monastery complex.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones during the overnight assault, with air defence systems intercepting 50 missiles and destroying 582 drones.
By daylight, rescue workers were seen clearing debris from the monastery as church bells rang across the historic complex. Ukraine’s Security Service also said it would publicly display fragments of one of the drones recovered from the attack.
A monk identified as Makariy said he was jolted awake by a loud explosion around 5:00 a.m. and fled to a shelter after stepping outside to find the monastery shrouded in fire and thick smoke.
Emergency worker, Ivan, told AFP that the cathedral’s interior remained largely intact, with the roof sustaining the most significant damage.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, renowned for its golden domes and extensive underground cave network containing the relics of dozens of revered saints, has long been one of the most important spiritual centres of Orthodox Christianity.
The Dormition Cathedral was almost completely destroyed during World War II before it was rebuilt in the 1990s.
The monastery had been administered for centuries by the Russian Orthodox Church through its Ukrainian branch, but in 2022 and 2023, monks linked to the Moscow-affiliated church were evicted over alleged ties to Russia.
UNESCO condemned the attack, while Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, also denounced the strike.
“What more must the Kremlin antichrist do for the world to realise that decisive action must be taken to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and against the very principles of peace?” he asked.
Across Ukraine, the death toll from the overnight bombardment rose to 11. In Kharkiv, five people, including rescue workers and a civil servant, were killed.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities said a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people and injured three others in the city of Tula, about 200 kilometres south of Moscow.
Zelensky said he was awaiting Russia’s response to his proposal for a meeting with Putin in the United States, warning that if Moscow again rejected direct talks, “additional pressure will be needed.”
Putin has repeatedly turned down calls for a face-to-face meeting with Zelensky, including a fresh invitation to hold talks during the G7 summit.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched in February 2022, has become Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, claiming thousands of civilian lives and hundreds of thousands of military casualties. In recent weeks, Ukraine has also intensified drone strikes targeting Russian oil infrastructure, saying the attacks are aimed at reducing Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
