A wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine has killed at least nine people and sparked a major fire at the historic Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv, officials confirmed on Monday.
The attacks claimed four lives in the capital, while five rescue workers were killed in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv while attempting to extinguish a blaze caused by a separate strike.
President Volodymyr Zelensky described the damage to the 11th-century cathedral as “one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today”.
Part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery, an architectural ensemble declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the cathedral was left with a gaping hole in its side and a partially destroyed roof.
Zelensky stated that Russia launched a massive overnight assault involving 70 missiles and 611 drones.
In Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that the strikes ignited fires in buildings and vehicles, leaving over 140,000 residents without electricity.
At least 23 people were wounded in the capital, with another five injured in Kharkiv.
The Russian military maintained that its “massive strike” targeted only military sites.
Moscow denied hitting the cathedral, suggesting instead that a US-manufactured Patriot air defence missile may have hit the site after misfiring, though no evidence was provided for this claim.
The Dormition Cathedral has a long history of resilience. According to UNESCO, it was almost entirely destroyed during the Second World War, with the exception of its south-eastern tower.
More recently, several buildings within the Lavra complex were damaged by Russian attacks in January.
French President Emmanuel Macron joined the international condemnation, stating on X that “nothing justifies this attack on our universal heritage”.
The incident occurs ahead of a G7 summit in France this week, where the war is a primary agenda item.
Zelensky has called for a “decisive and meaningful” response from world leaders, specifically requesting more anti-ballistic missiles and air defence assistance.
The Ukrainian leader also noted he had discussed efforts to end the conflict with US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, local officials in the Russian city of Tula reported that a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people, including a one-year-old.
