Ukraine Strikes Hit Historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and Residential Buildings
Ukraine strikes hit the capital and other cities overnight as Russia launched a large-scale attack using dozens of ballistic missiles and hundreds of drones, striking Kyiv's historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery and causing the Assumption Cathedral to catch fire while also hitting residential buildings in the capital and other cities. [3]
Major Russian Strike Hits Kyiv and Other Cities
The Ukraine strikes began with explosions reported in Kyiv around 1 a.m. local time, followed by subsequent rounds of blasts around 1:30 a.m. and again at 3:40 a.m. [3] Preliminary reports indicate that over 50 missiles, including several Zircon hypersonic missiles, and nearly 500 drones were launched in the attack. [3] Ukraine's Air Force reported that dozens of Russian drones were approaching Kyiv amid active air defense operations, with a ballistic missile threat issued for most of the country. [3] Air raid alerts were active in central and eastern regions as the barrage unfolded. [3]
Historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra Monastery on Fire
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1015, was struck for the second time in Russia's full-scale war, with the roof of the 11th-century Assumption Cathedral burning. [2] [3] The monastery is a labyrinthine complex that holds some of Ukraine's most revered shrines and relics, and it came under direct fire marking only the third strike against the site since World War II. [3] The Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was originally built in the 11th century as part of the wider monastery complex. [3] Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, wrote that the roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world is burning and described it as another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity. [3] The site has stood on UNESCO's World Heritage list since 1990 and remains under constant monitoring amid ongoing attacks. [2] [3]
Casualties and Damage in Kyiv
At least 20 people were injured in Kyiv, including a child and a pregnant woman, with 11 hospitalized. [3] Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a residential building in the Obolon district was partially destroyed between the third and fourth floors. [3] Strikes on a nine-story residential building and a five-story residential building were also reported in the Solomianskyi and Pechersk districts. [3] Kyiv City Military Administration Head Tymur Tkachenko said that a fire had broken out at a three-story residential building in the city's Podil district, while a 25-story apartment building in the Shevchenkivskyi district was also hit. [3] A total of 30 car fires burned across Kyiv, and the attack damaged transmission lines, causing widespread power outages that left at least 140,000 subscribers without power. [2] [3] Over 40 locations were struck in Kyiv during the assault. [3]
Attacks Reported Outside Kyiv
In Kharkiv, five emergency workers were killed and at least four victims injured in the overnight assault, according to regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov. [3] In Dnipro, at least one person was reported injured. [3] Regional Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said that a college building had been destroyed in the attack. [3] The full extent of the damage and casualties from the mass strike is not yet known, as Russia's attacks against Ukraine are ongoing. [3]
Ukrainian Officials Condemn the Assault
Ukrainian officials described the strike on the monastery as a brutal assault on the nation's people, heritage, and Christian values. [2] Prime Minister Julija Svyridenko wrote on X that it was a brutal attack on our people and our heritage and represented the true face of Russia's orthodox values. [2] Tkachenko stated that the Russians are the barbarians of the 21st century and that everyone would remember this. [3] Metropolitan Epiphanius called for prayers for the salvation of the shrine from destruction. [3]
Context of Recent Russian Strikes
This follows warnings of renewed large-scale attacks, with the Ukrainian Air Force stating on June 12 that it was highly likely Russia would use an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine on June 13, although the attack did not materialize. [3] Its most recent use came on May 24, when it was launched at Bila Tserkva in Kyiv Oblast. [3] The latest large-scale attack follows Russian President Vladimir Putin's ongoing rejection of a ceasefire in Ukraine, as he dismissed on June 5 President Volodymyr Zelensky's open letter calling for the immediate reopening of peace negotiations. [3] Russia's recent wave of mass strikes has made May one of the deadliest months for Ukrainian civilians throughout the full-scale war, with a mass attack against Kyiv on May 24 damaging the National Art Museum and other sites including the Kyiv Opera Theater. [3] Hours before the overnight drone and missile blitz, an evening Russian drone attack on June 14 struck the Kharkiv Art Museum, causing a massive fire. [3] At the beginning of the year, a Russian strike on Jan. 24 damaged buildings at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra for the first time since World War II, when Soviet forces mined the Assumption Cathedral, which was blown up on Nov. 3, 1941. [3]
What to watch next: The full extent of damage and casualties remains unknown as Russia's attacks against Ukraine continue.
