Russia launched a large-scale air attack on Ukraine, killing five rescuers in Kharkiv and injuring at least 13 in Kyiv. The historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery sustained damage and caught fire.
The attacks underscore the ongoing intensity of the conflict in Ukraine, with significant civilian casualties and damage to cultural heritage sites, while also highlighting regional security concerns with Poland increasing its air defence readiness.
Russia launched a large-scale air attack on Ukraine, resulting in casualties and significant damage to civilian infrastructure and a historic religious site. In Kharkiv, five emergency service rescuers were killed and at least five others wounded by a second strike while they were battling a blaze from an earlier attack. The capital, Kyiv, experienced a series of powerful explosions from ballistic missiles and drones, with at least 13 people injured, including a child. Five strikes hit civilian sites in the Shevchenkivskyi district, damaging a 25-story apartment building, a market, and a grocery store, while a nine-story residential building in the Obolonskyi district sustained a direct hit. The historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was also targeted, with a fire breaking out on the roof of its Dormition Cathedral. Officials condemned the attack, with the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration accusing Russia of deliberately striking a significant Christian shrine. In response to the widespread attacks, Poland scrambled fighter jets and placed its air defence systems on high alert.