Russia strikes iconic UNESCO monastery in overnight Kyiv attack
At least four killed, 140,000 homes without power as Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra burns
A massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight into Monday set the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex on fire in what Ukrainian officials called a deliberate assault on the country's cultural and spiritual heritage. The monastery is one of Ukraine's most sacred and historically significant sites.
At least four people were killed and more than 20 wounded in the attack on the capital, according to the head of the Kyiv city military administration. Around 140,000 households in northern Kyiv were left without electricity, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said. Firefighters battled flames under the towers and domes of the cathedral as images of the burning complex circulated on social media.
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The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, founded in the 11th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important religious and pilgrimage sites in the Orthodox Christian world. It was added to UNESCO's World Heritage in Danger list in 2023 due to the threat posed by Russia's offensive. The complex houses a network of surface and underground churches, and the caves beneath it contain the relics of saints venerated across the Orthodox world. UNESCO has described it as "a masterpiece of Ukrainian art."
Ukraine's Minister of Culture, Tetyana Berezhna, confirmed the cathedral had been damaged. Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv called for prayers for "the salvation of the shrine from destruction," adding, "Another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity."
In another part of Ukraine, at least five people were killed and five wounded in the Russian bombardment of the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko.
The attack came hours after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had spoken with President Donald Trump about efforts to end the war, and after Trump separately spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday. "All Ukrainians have one wish for President Trump: that we may finally achieve peace," Zelensky wrote.