Tuesday, June 16, 2026 - A prominent Ukrainian monastery complex in the heart of Kyiv was set on fire following a massive Russian attack overnight into Monday that killed at least eleven people and wounded more than a dozen in the capital, according to local authorities.
Images showed flames billowing from the UNESCO-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra,
which traces its roots back almost 1,000 years, and firefighters beneath the
towers and domes of its Dormition Cathedral battling to control the blaze.
According to BB, several explosions were heard during the overnight
attack, during which Russia launched 611 long-range strike UAVs and 70
missiles, Ukraine’s Air Force said
By daybreak, firefighters were still working to douse the flames at the
complex. Ukraine’s emergency services said a fire had affected 800 square
meters of the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, and released images that showed
damage to the building.
The Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine asked for “prayers for
the salvation of the shrine from destruction,” in a statement. “Another Russian
crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
A fire also broke out in the building of the National Cultural, Art and
Museum Complex, covering an area of 1,000 square meters, according to Ukraine’s
emergency services.
At least eleven people have been killed and more than 20 wounded in the
attack on the city, according to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv city
military administration. The attack also left about 140,000 households in the
northern part of Kyiv without electricity, according to mayor Vitaliy
Klitschko.
In a statement on Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said it had carried
out strikes on “targets within the defence-industrial complex in the cities of
Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged the international community
to provide a swift and meaningful response ahead of the G7 summit, which will
be hosted in Évian, France, on Monday.
“This is how Russia shows the world its intention to continue the war,”
Zelensky wrote in a post on X following the attack. “It is very important that
there be a response from the G7 countries… and that this response be decisive
and substantive: more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s
air defense,” he added.
President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen addressed the
issue in an X post shortly after, condemning Russia’s “heavy attacks” and
promising a dialogue among leaders
“Today, G7 leaders meet in Évian. We will discuss the next steps to
increase pressure on Russia, bring (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to the
negotiating table, and end this senseless killing,” she wrote.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage site. In
2023, it was added to the World Heritage in Danger list “due to the threat of
destruction the Russian offensive poses.”
Founded in the 11th century and comprising a complex network of surface
and underground churches, it is a major spiritual and cultural center for many
Ukrainians and an important pilgrimage site. In its listing, UNESCO describes
the complex as a “masterpiece of Ukrainian art.” Over centuries, relics of
saints have been buried in the caves, according to UNESCO.
Zelensky slammed the attack as “one of Russia’s most serious crimes
against Christian culture to date.”
Elsewhere in Ukraine, at least five people have been killed following
Russian bombardment in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, according to Interior
Minister Ihor Klymenko. Another five were wounded, he said.
The attack comes after Zelensky said he and US President Donald Trump
discussed efforts to bring an end to the war, which Moscow started more than
four years ago. Trump also spoke with Putin on Sunday, according to the
Kremlin.
“All Ukrainians have one wish for President Trump: that we may finally
achieve peace, and achieve this success together with the US and all our
partners,” Zelensky wrote on X Sunday.
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