Religious and political leaders condemned a Russian attack that set ablaze the main cathedral building at the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery in Ukraine on Monday (June 15).
Officials reported that a Russian Shahed drone struck the Dormition Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a central landmark of the 1,000-year-old Monastic Caves complex in Kyiv.
“As a result of Russian shelling happening right now, on the night of June 15, the roof of one of the holiest sites in the Christian world – the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra – is on fire,” Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, wrote on X during the attack.
He compared the invading forces to King Herod.
“We ask for your prayers for the salvation of this holy site from destruction,” Epiphanius wrote. “Yet another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity. What else must the Kremlin’s Antichrist do for the world to realize it must act decisively to end Russian terror against Ukraine and against the very principles of peace?”
Historians trace the Lavra’s origins back to 1051, making it one of the oldest monasteries in Eastern Christianity. The site holds the burial grounds of Prince Yuriy Dolgorukiy, historical founder of Moscow.
The Ukrainian government confirmed that the strikes ignited fires across the capital, hitting both the Dormition Cathedral and the nearby Mystetskyi Arsenal art museum space.
Roughly 140 firefighters and 40 emergency vehicles deployed to the scene. Rescuers battled the flames for five hours before bringing the fire under control.
“An attack on it is one of the gravest crimes against world cultural heritage,” said Tetiana Berezhna, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for humanitarian policy and culture minister. “When the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra comes under fire, this is not only about Ukraine. It is about heritage that belongs to all of humanity.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the ruins to thank the emergency crews and volunteers who aided in the aftermath.
“It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located,” Zelenskyy said.
The attack killed five people and injured 35 others in the capital.
The strikes on Kyiv formed part of a massive, nationwide assault on Monday (June 15). Russian forces simultaneously targeted Kharkiv, Dnipro and several other settlements. The Ukrainian military reported that Russia launched 70 ballistic, cruise, and anti-ship missiles alongside 611 drones, the majority of which were Iranian-designed Shahed models.
Zelenskyy confirmed that the nationwide bombardment killed 11 people and wounded 53 others. The president expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and called on international bodies to ramp up pressure on Moscow.
“I have instructed Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and our entire diplomatic team to maximize all contacts with partners today so that international events this week and next deliver real results for strengthening our defense and increasing global pressure on Russia over this war,” Zelenskyy said. “We need a just response to this Russian strike.”
The monastery complex previously suffered structural damage in late January when a Russian blast wave cracked buildings and shook the monastery’s historic subterranean caves.
