A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine has killed five people and left at least 20 wounded, as a fire erupted at one of the country's most significant religious landmarks in Kyiv, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The strike, which took place on Monday, June 15, also caused apartment buildings to become engulfed in flames, according to images from the scene.
Details of the Attack
The five deaths occurred in Kharkiv, where a second Russian strike hit emergency workers who were battling a blaze caused by an earlier attack, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. At least five other emergency workers were wounded in that incident. In Kyiv, a series of powerful explosions echoed across the city, with a wave of ballistic missiles followed by Shahed drones, prompting many people to seek shelter underground.
Damage to Religious Landmark
Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, accused Russia of deliberately striking “the heart of one of the largest Christian shrines,” noting substantial damage at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastic complex. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire during the overnight attack, said Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He condemned the strike as another Russian crime “against humanity, against history, against Christianity” and appealed for prayers to save the site.
Civilian Infrastructure Hit
“Kyiv is under the main strike. There is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure,” Klymenko said. Twenty people, including a child, sought medical help in the capital, Tkachenko reported. He said that five strikes hit civilian sites in the city’s Shevchenkivskyi district in less than 30 minutes, including a 25-story apartment building, while a market and a grocery store caught fire. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building took a direct hit. “This is their deliberate decision,” he added.
