A major Russian aerial assault on Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, has set parts of the centuries-old Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex on fire, as the city came under one of its heaviest bombardments in months.
Ukrainian authorities said the overnight attack into Monday killed at least five people and injured more than two dozen others in the capital, while nationwide fatalities from the strikes rose to at least 11.
Images from the scene showed flames and thick smoke rising from the UNESCO-listed religious site, which dates back nearly 1,000 years, as firefighters worked through the night to contain the blaze around its domes and cathedral structures.
Ukraine’s emergency services said about 800 square metres of the roof of the Dormition Cathedral was affected, while a separate fire also damaged part of a nearby cultural and museum complex, spreading across roughly 1,000 square metres.
Officials said sacred relics and religious artefacts were quickly evacuated from the cathedral as emergency crews battled to protect the historic site. The full extent of structural damage remains unclear.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched more than 600 drones and dozens of missiles in the coordinated strike, targeting multiple cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk. The attack also left around 140,000 households in northern Kyiv without electricity, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Metropolitan Epiphanius I of Kyiv called for prayers for the protection of the monastery, describing the attack as a blow against history, Christianity, and humanity.
Russia’s defence ministry said it targeted military-industrial facilities and did not comment on damage to the monastery.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged international allies to respond decisively, saying the attack demonstrated Russia’s continued intent to prolong the war ahead of upcoming global diplomatic meetings.
