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The Kremlin denies hitting the monestary, blaming a Patriot missile instead.
A heavy wave of overnight airstrikes pounded cities across Ukraine, killing at least ten people nationwide.
Among the wreckage, a 1,000-year-old monastery complex that symbolizes the spiritual heart of the nation suffered severe damage.
According to Reuters, France’s foreign minister compared the devastation at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery to the infamous fire at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris.
The monestary is on UNESCO World Heritage list and has stood since 1051.
“A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire, a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” President Volodymyr Zelenskiy shared on X.
Visiting the site, he added, “This is an attack on our history,” but promised everything would be restored.
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Kremlin blames Patriots
Russia denied targeting the holy site, claiming a U.S.-made Patriot missile caused the damage. However, Zelenskiy maintained a drone hit it.
Reuters reported that a source provided a photograph of drone debris found at the scene, though the image could not be verified.
The barrage forced thousands of local residents to seek shelter underground during the most intense assault on the capital in two weeks. In Kyiv alone, municipal officials confirmed that five people died and dozens more suffered injuries.
Other regions faced similar devastation. In Kharkiv, local authorities reported that the strikes killed four emergency workers and a city official. Meanwhile, an apparent Ukrainian drone attack inside the Russian city of Tula claimed three lives, according to a local governor.
Defending the skies
The sheer scale of the overnight bombardment tested defensive networks to their absolute limits. Ukraine’s military reported that Russia deployed 70 missiles and 611 drones during the single overnight operation.
Air defense teams managed to intercept the vast majority of the incoming threats, downing 50 missiles and 582 drones. Still, certain advanced weaponry managed to slip through the defensive shield.
“Ballistic missiles remain a problem for us,” Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ihnat explained on national television. “Of the 34 ballistic missiles launched, only 15 were shot down, although that is a strong result.”
The widespread chaos even prompted neighboring Poland to scramble fighter jets to protect its own airspace.
