KYIV — Russian missile and drone strikes damaged the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in the Ukrainian capital, igniting a fire at its 11th-century Dormition Cathedral and killing at least 10 people across Ukraine, authorities said on Monday.
The overnight barrage, described by Ukrainian officials as one of the heaviest Russian air attacks on Kyiv in two weeks, also struck residential areas and power infrastructure in multiple cities, including Kharkiv.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said the UNESCO-listed Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, founded in 1051 and a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural heritage, sustained serious damage from a direct strike. Fire engulfed the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, covering an area of about 800 square meters, though firefighters contained the blaze.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the strikes killed 11 civilians and emergency workers and wounded 53 people nationwide. Local authorities reported at least four or five deaths in Kyiv.
"The Dormition Cathedral was significantly damaged," Zelenskyy stated, describing the incident as one of the most serious crimes against Christian culture.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a prominent monastic complex and UNESCO World Heritage site. Smoke was seen billowing from the golden domes of the cathedral following the attack.
Ukrainian officials said the assault involved dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones. It knocked out electricity to tens of thousands of households and caused fires in residential buildings.
Russia has not commented specifically on the strike against the monastery. In past incidents, Moscow has denied deliberately targeting civilian or cultural sites, often attributing damage to Ukrainian air defenses.
UNESCO condemned the reported damage to the Dormition Cathedral, calling for protection of cultural heritage.
Emergency services continued recovery and assessment operations on Monday. Details on the full extent of the damage to the monastery and the precise number of casualties in each location remained under verification.
The strikes follow ongoing hostilities in the conflict that has devastated parts of Ukraine since 2022.
