Russia yesterday fired a barrage of missiles at several major Ukrainian cities, killing at least 11 people and sparking a fire at one of the most important Orthodox monasteries.
Agence France-Presse journalists across Kyiv witnessed residents running through the streets seeking shelter throughout the night, as projectiles were intercepted in the sky and glowing debris fell across the darkened city.
In response to the assault Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called for more pressure on Moscow from G7 leaders, who were gathering at a summit in France set to be dominated by the US-Iranian deal to end the Middle East war. The violence killed five people and wounded 34 in the capital as fire broke out on the grounds of the UNESCO world heritage site Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, setting ablaze the roof of its Dormition Cathedral.
Photo: AFP
“This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Zelenskiy said on social media.
Founded in the 11th century, the site holds huge significance for Orthodox believers in Ukraine and Russia.
Russia’s military said it had carried out a “massive strike” on military sites in Kyiv, as well as the Kharkiv and Dnipro regions, but denied targeting the Lavra, saying it was hit by an outdated US Patriot air defense missile.
Moscow fired 70 missiles and 611 drones, mainly targeting the capital, Ukraine’s air force said, adding that it had downed 50 of the missiles and 582 drones.
In the morning, an AFP reporter saw rescuers carefully cleaning up rubble at the monastery, as the church bells rang out the tune of the Ukrainian anthem.
Zelenskiy called for G7 leaders, meeting for a summit in France, to give a “decisive and substantive” response to the attacks.
He urged “more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defense, especially anti-ballistic capabilities.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the G7 leaders would “discuss the next steps to increase pressure on Russia, bring [Russian President Vladimir] Putin to the negotiating table, and end this senseless killing.”
In Kyiv, museum worker Natalia Korol said she was “outraged” by the strike on the monastery.
“It is a shrine. They also say that it is their shrine. You cannot strike shrines,” the 52-year-old woman said.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery with emblematic golden domes, is venerated by both the Russian and Ukrainian wings of the Orthodox Church as one of their most important spiritual centers. Its sprawling cave system holds the relics of dozens of saints revered by both churches.
The Dormition Cathedral, set alight in the overnight attacks, was almost completely destroyed during World War II and rebuilt only in the 1990s. The Russian Orthodox Church administered the site via its Ukrainian branch for centuries. In 2022-2023, the monks serving in the Ukrainian branch of the Moscow church were evicted from the monastery, accused of having ties to Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the strikes saying “nothing justifies this attack on our universal heritage.”
Kyiv’s Metropolitan Epiphanius denounced the attack, saying: “What more must the Kremlin antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken to stop Russian terror against Ukraine and against the very principles of peace?”
