KYIV — Russia launched a large-scale overnight missile and drone attack on Ukraine that damaged the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Ukrainian officials said on Monday, while Moscow denied responsibility and said the damage was caused by a Ukrainian air defense missile.
The attack, described by Ukrainian authorities as one of the heaviest assaults on the capital in recent weeks, sparked a fire at the Dormition Cathedral within the centuries-old monastery complex. Emergency crews extinguished the blaze after several hours, according to local officials. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said several people were injured in the capital during the attack, while damage was also reported to residential buildings and power infrastructure.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is one of Ukraine’s most important religious and cultural landmarks and has been recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Ukrainian officials said the strike caused significant damage to parts of the complex.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the site after the attack and said the area around the monastery had been deliberately targeted. “It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the area of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located,” Zelenskyy said, according to Ukrainian state media.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said investigators found debris that it identified as parts of a Russian-made Geran-2 attack drone, known internationally as the Shahed-type drone. The agency said the findings were based on an examination of fragments recovered at the scene.
Russia rejected the accusation. The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces had targeted military-related facilities in Kyiv and did not strike the monastery. In a statement, the ministry said a U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile had damaged the religious site after an alleged malfunction. “The armed forces of the Russian Federation do not plan or carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure,” the ministry said.
The overnight assault formed part of a broader wave of Russian missile and drone strikes reported across Ukraine. Ukrainian authorities said multiple regions came under attack and reported casualties and infrastructure damage, though details remained subject to verification.
As of Monday evening, emergency operations at the monastery had been completed and officials were assessing the extent of the damage. Ukrainian authorities said investigations into the strike were continuing, while Russia maintained its denial of responsibility.
