Ukrainian officials said on Monday that a fire broke out on the grounds of a historic Kiev monastery after Russia launched a major missile attack on several Ukrainian cities overnight, the heaviest Russian airstrike on the capital in two weeks.
The Ukrainian military said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones at the country. Citing preliminary data, it said the 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 attacks caused a fire on the roof of the capital’s historic Dormition Cathedral within the UNESCO-protected Kiev Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
“A brutal attack on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia’s conservative values,” Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko wrote on X, calling the site a “priceless cultural landmark.”
He shared a video purportedly showing the upper portion of the cathedral building engulfed in flames.
Other scenes showed a large hole in the side of the church.
Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, accused Russia of deliberately attacking “the heart of one of the largest Christian shrines”.
Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, condemned the attack as “another Moscow crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
The Kiev Pechersk Lavra Monastery was founded in 1051 and is a major symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural history.
It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.
The monastery complex, adorned with golden domes, is home to a vast labyrinth of underground caves.
Ukraine reports massive Russian attacks on Kharkiv
Air raid sirens echoed across much of Ukraine as Russia launched its latest attacks early Monday.
Interior Minister Igor Klimenko said five rescue workers were killed during firefighting operations in Kharkiv.
He said at least nine others were injured.
In Kiev, a series of powerful explosions were heard across the capital as residents sought shelter underground.
“Kyiv is under main attack. There has been significant destruction of civilian infrastructure there,” Klimenko said.
Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said attacks were reported in three districts of Kiev, injuring at least 23 people.
According to Kyiv officials, the attack damaged power lines, leaving about 140,000 Kyiv residents in the dark.
Russia says it is expelling Ukrainian drones
Russia also reported on Monday a Ukrainian drone strike in the Russian city of Tula, which is about 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 braving drone attacks overnight, its mayor said.
Both Ukraine and Russia deny deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in their more than four-year war.
Edited by: Rana Taha