Kyiv
A millennium-old monastery regarded as one of Ukraine’s most important spiritual and cultural landmarks was heavily damaged during a large-scale Russian aerial assault on Kyiv, Ukrainian authorities said on Monday.
The overnight attacks, described as among the most intense in recent weeks, left at least 10 people dead across the country and renewed international condemnation of the conflict.
The damaged site, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, is a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051 and is considered one of the most significant religious centers in Eastern Europe. Ukrainian officials reported that the monastery’s Dormition Cathedral caught fire during the attack, causing extensive damage to a structure whose history dates back nearly a thousand years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly condemned the strike, calling it one of the gravest attacks on Christian cultural heritage since the start of the war. In a statement on social media, he said the assault represented an attack on Ukraine’s history and identity. Visiting the site later in the day, Zelenskiy pledged that the damaged structures would be restored despite the destruction.
The attack occurred shortly after Zelenskiy disclosed that he had discussed efforts to end the conflict with U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of the G7 summit in France. The timing of the strike drew additional attention as world leaders prepared to discuss security and diplomatic developments related to the war.
France reacted sharply to the monastery damage. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot compared the attack on the ancient religious complex to bombing the iconic Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral, emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of the site.
Residents of Kyiv spent hours in underground shelters as drones and missiles targeted the capital. Witnesses reported seeing flames rise above the monastery complex while air defense systems attempted to intercept incoming threats. The attack marked the deadliest assault on the city since early June, when previous strikes killed more than 20 people and injured over 100 others.
Russia denied responsibility for damaging the monastery. Russian officials claimed the site had been struck by debris from a U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile rather than by a Russian weapon. Zelenskiy rejected that explanation, asserting that a Russian drone directly hit the religious compound.
Adding to the dispute, a source familiar with the matter shared a photograph allegedly showing fragments of a Russian drone near the damaged cathedral. However, the image could not be independently verified.