Russian attacks on Kyiv – famous cave monastery on fire

Russia attacked the capital, Kyiv, with more than 60 missiles and cruise missiles, said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In total, 611 drones as well as 70 missiles and cruise missiles were deployed against Ukraine during the night.

Zelenskyy climbs onto church roof – and threatens a response from Kyiv

Zelenskyy himself climbed onto the roof of the heavily damaged Cathedral of the Dormition to assess the damage alongside clergy and government officials, as seen in a video he posted. Russia had deliberately attacked the neighborhood containing the monastery with two drones. However, he did not comment on Telegram regarding whether—as Russia claims—a missile from Ukrainian air defense struck the sanctuary. Zelenskyy threatened Moscow with a “just response” from Kyiv. According to government officials, the church is being repaired.

The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) announced in the afternoon that remnants of a Russian Geran kamikaze drone—a replica of the Iranian Shahed drone—had been found on the monastery grounds. The security service also released photos of the findings.

Zelenskyy called on the Group of Seven (G7) to respond decisively to the Russian attacks. More pressure is needed on the aggressor, and more support for Ukraine’s air defense—especially to protect against ballistic missile attacks, Zelenskyy said on Telegram. He is expected to attend the G7 summit in Évian, France, this evening.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced on X that the G7 summit would discuss next steps to increase pressure on Russia, bring Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, and end this senseless killing. “Europe wants peace. No one more so than the Ukrainian people. Russia, on the other hand, has once again shown that it is interested only in violence and destruction.”

Cleric: Ancient Icons Safe

Images of the damage to the centuries-old cave monastery in Kyiv quickly went viral on social media —though it remained unclear whether the world-famous pilgrimage site had caught fire due to direct hits from Russian projectiles or from falling debris following the deployment of Ukrainian air defenses. Flames licked out from the roof beneath the gilded domes of the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha accused Putin of “barbarism” on X.

Zelenskyy called it one of the “greatest Russian crimes against Christian culture.” The fire has since been extinguished. According to church officials, the ancient icons and other sacred objects of Orthodox Christianity are safe. A rapid rescue of liturgical objects and relics had been organized, Metropolitan Avraamij announced on Facebook. They held “not only ecclesiastical, but also national and universal value,” said the head of the monastery.

The monastery complex on the hills along the Dnipro River is under the protection of the UN cultural organization UNESCO and has been a World Heritage Site since 1990. Its origins date back to the 11th century. The centerpiece is the cathedral, which was destroyed in 1941 during World War II and only rebuilt in the late 1990s.

In the lower part of the monastery grounds, which houses several museums, lies the cave system created in the Middle Ages containing the mummified remains of clergy. This part continues to be used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, which considered itself part of the Moscow Patriarchate until the Russian invasion in 2022, but subsequently broke away from Moscow.

Explosions in Kyiv – five dead in Kharkiv

In downtown Kyiv, nearly two dozen explosions—presumably triggered by anti-aircraft fire—were heard overnight, as reported by a correspondent for the German Press Agency. According to Mayor Vitali Klitschko, there were strikes in three districts. This reportedly led to widespread power outages and fires. About 30 vehicles are said to have gone up in flames. Military Governor Tkachenko spoke of more than 40 strikes in the capital.

Heavy shelling was also reported from other Ukrainian regions. In Kharkiv alone, five rescue workers were killed and four others injured as a result of the airstrikes, Governor Oleh Synyhubov said. In Dnipro, there was at least one casualty, according to reports. None of this information could be independently verified at first. According to authorities, a church and the House of Organ and Chamber Music were also damaged in Dnipro.

Ukraine has been defending itself against the Russian invasion for more than four years and is attacked from the air almost daily. Meanwhile, both warring parties are primarily attacking each other with drones, which are relatively easy and inexpensive for their respective armed forces to deploy.

Russians report deaths from Ukrainian drone attacks

According to Dmitry Milyaev, governor of the Russian region of Tula, three people were killed overnight as a result of Ukrainian drone attacks. Three others were injured, he reported on Telegram. The Moscow city administration reported that several incoming drones had been shot down. No information was initially released regarding possible damage or injuries.

Moscow’s Defense Ministry described the attacks on Ukraine as a retaliatory strike following “terrorist attacks by the Kyiv regime” in Russia. Targets included drone and missile production facilities in Kyiv. According to the Russian account, one such facility was also located at the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio in Kyiv, which was also hit. According to Ukrainian sources, Ukraine’s largest and oldest costume collection was destroyed there.

According to unverifiable information from the ministry in Moscow, the cave monastery in Kyiv was struck by a Patriot missile from the Ukrainian air defense system. Western countries had supplied Kyiv with such missiles past their expiration date, which could have led to the situation on the monastery grounds, the ministry stated. The cave monastery is considered a sanctuary by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church.