Russian Strikes Set Kyiv’s Dormition Cathedral Ablaze, Killing at Least 11

Russia’s bombardment across Ukraine on Sunday night, June 14, killed at least 11 people and injured dozens, and set the Dormition Cathedral ablaze within the 11th-century Pechersk Lavra monastery complex in Kyiv.

“Russia bombards Kyiv with drones and missiles, sets fire to historic cathedral Several people were killed in Kyiv by the overnight Russian strikes”

ABC News

The fire spread quickly along hundreds of square feet of the cathedral’s roof, and the Ukrainian Security Services reported on Telegram that it identified debris from a Russian kamikaze drone whose blast allegedly damaged the “roofs [sic], domes, walls, and glazing of the cathedral.”

ABC News

Russia denied responsibility for damage to the cathedral, claiming the site was struck by a US-made interceptor missile deployed by Ukraine, while a second precision strike caused another fire at the nearby Mystetskyi Arsenal National Art and Culture Museum Complex.

In Kharkiv, the Kharkiv Art Museum was hit in a separate strike last night, June 14, causing a large fire and injuring four people, as the damages were still being evaluated.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Russia fired hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Kyiv, Kharkiv and other cities, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens, and described the roof of the UNESCO-listed Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery ablaze during the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attack was “one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” and called for “a response from the G7 countries” with “more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defence, especially anti-ballistic capabilities.”

Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, condemned the strike as another Russian crime “against humanity, against history, against Christianity,” and appealed for prayers to save the site as smoke billowed around the golden domes of the Dormition Cathedral.

Action News Jax

The Ukrainian Security Services’ Telegram account tied the cathedral damage to debris from a Russian kamikaze drone, while Russia claimed the cathedral was hit by a US-made interceptor missile deployed by Ukraine.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Zelenskyy said the damage was caused by two Russian drones, and that Metropolitan Epiphanius said the roof caught fire during the attack.

In Kyiv, museum worker Natalia Korol told AFP, “It is a shrine. They also say that it is their shrine. You cannot strike shrines,” as rescuers worked on the grounds of the UNESCO world heritage site.

Al Jazeera reported that the overnight barrage knocked out electricity to 140,000 households and ignited a major fire at the Dormition Cathedral, while Ukrainian officials said the assault struck multiple cities including the capital.

“A large overnight Russian missile and drone barrage has killed at least 11 people across Ukraine, knocked out electricity to 140,000 households and ignited a major fire at the Dormition Cathedral within the UNESCO-listed Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex”

Al Jazeera

The same report said the Ministry of Culture reported the barrage heavily damaged the nearby Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studios, destroying its primary costume repository and incinerating an irreplaceable collection of roughly 100,000 garments.

In Kyiv, emergency services battled the Dormition Cathedral fire early on Monday, and Maksym Ostapenko, director general of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Preserve, told Ukrainian state broadcaster Suspilne that a Russian kamikaze drone made a direct hit on the cathedral’s roof, engulfing roughly 800sq metres (8,600sq ft) in flames.

The CBC News account said Russia’s air force said it launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, with 50 missiles and 582 drones shot down or otherwise suppressed, and described the roof of the Dormition Cathedral catching fire during the overnight attack.

The Guardian reported that Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Svyrydenko posted a picture of monastery buildings in flames and called it “A brutal assault on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia’s Orthodox values,” as the attack drew calls for pressure on Moscow and support for Ukraine’s air defence.