Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has strongly condemned the Russian missile strike that damaged the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, describing it as one of the most serious attacks on Christian heritage since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
In a statement on social media, Zelensky said that Russia launched more than 70 missiles and 611 drones against Ukraine overnight, including over 60 missiles targeting Kyiv alone. According to Ukrainian authorities, four people were killed and at least 28 injured in the capital, among them two children and a pregnant woman.
It is important that the world does not remain silent in response to this latest act of Russian barbarism. This strike on the Lavra is an attack on the Christian community and on the cultural heritage of humanity. There can be no justification for this or for any other similar… https://t.co/OFz6SmppIE
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 15, 2026
The attack sparked a fire at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of the holiest sites in Orthodox Christianity and a UNESCO World Heritage monument. Emergency crews later extinguished the blaze.
“A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century,” Zelensky said. “This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date.”
The Ukrainian President urged the international community not to remain silent, calling the attack “an assault on the Christian community and on the cultural heritage of humanity.”
Efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strikes are ongoing in Kyiv, as well as in Kharkiv. Last night, the Russians launched more than 60 missiles at the capital alone. In total, 70 missiles and 611 drones were used against Ukraine. As of now, 28 people have been… pic.twitter.com/WRp6iEOu7h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 15, 2026
“It is important that the world does not remain silent in response to this latest act of Russian barbarism,” he wrote. “There can be no justification for this or for any other similar Russian attacks.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also condemned the strike, noting that the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, “one of the great centers of Ukrainian Orthodoxy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” had been hit during a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv.
“Nothing justifies this attack against our universal heritage, just as nothing justifies Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” Macron stated.
La Laure de Kyiv-Pechersk, l’un des hauts lieux de l’orthodoxie ukrainienne inscrit au patrimoine mondial de l’humanité de l’UNESCO, a été touchée cette nuit dans l’importante frappe de missiles et de drones russes qui a, de nouveau, pris Kyiv pour cible et fait des victimes…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 15, 2026
The French President reaffirmed France’s readiness to cooperate with Ukrainian authorities responsible for cultural heritage protection and said the attack only strengthened international efforts to achieve a ceasefire and a lasting peace.
Russia claims Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was hit by Ukrainian Air Defense during massive strike
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has issued a statement regarding the large-scale missile and drone attack carried out against Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro, claiming that the operation targeted military infrastructure and defense-related facilities, according to Ukrainian media outlets.
According to the Russian ministry, the armed forces launched a massive strike using “precision weapons” against defense-industrial enterprises, military airfields, and army recruitment centers. The ministry stated that the attack involved air-, land-, and sea-based weapons, as well as attack drones.
Addressing the damage caused to the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of the most significant Orthodox Christian sites in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage monument, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that the monastery was struck by a Ukrainian Patriot air-defense missile.
According to the Russian version of events, the damage to the Lavra was not caused directly by Russian missiles but resulted from Ukrainian air-defense activity.
