Zelensky condemns Russian strike on Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as attack on ‘cultural heritage of humanity’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has condemned an overnight Russian airstrike on Kyiv that caused a fire to break out on the roof of the Assumption Cathedral, part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most historically significant buildings in the country.
The combined missile and drone strike on the Ukrainian capital in the early hours of Monday left five people dead and a further 30 people injured, Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko said, as well as causing significant damage to 40 buildings, according to Timur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s Military Administration.
Clean-up operations were ongoing in Kyiv following the Russian barrage, Zelensky said on Telegram, noting that over 60 missiles had been fired at the capital alone. While the fire on the cathedral roof has been extinguished, damage to the monastery complex appears to be significant.
Calling the attack “an attack on the Christian community and on the cultural heritage of humanity”, Zelensky said that the strike on the monastery had caused a fire on the roof of the Assumption Cathedral, which he noted “dates back to the 11th century”.
“There can be no justification for this or for any other similar Russian attacks. What is needed is more cooperation to stop Russia’s war and stronger protection to save lives from Russia,” Zelensky continued, urging the international community not to remain silent in response to what he called “this latest act of Russian barbarism”.
On Monday, the Russian Defence Ministry confirmed that it had launched a massive strike on “military airfields and regional recruitment centres” in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro in response to what it termed “terrorist acts” carried out by Ukraine, but repeated its denial that it ever struck civilian targets.
The Russian Defence Ministry also said that it had received credible reports saying that the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra had actually been struck by a US Patriot air defence system, and suggested that “Western countries supplied the Kyiv regime with missiles that had passed their expiry date”.
However, after visiting the monastery on Monday, Zelensky said on X that it had been confirmed that two Russian drones had “deliberately targeted” the area of Kyiv where the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is located.
