Key facts
- Russia conducted a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight.
- Kyiv's Dormition Cathedral, an 11th-century monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was hit and its roof caught fire.
- Ukrainian officials condemned the strikes as war crimes and attacks on heritage and Christianity.
- President Zelenskyy reported 70 missiles and 611 drones were used, with 5 deaths and 35 injuries in Kyiv.
- EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas condemned the attacks on civilians and heritage sites.
- President Zelenskyy urged G7 leaders to increase pressure on Russia and bolster Ukraine's air defense.
Kyiv's Dormition Cathedral, a significant 11th-century monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site, was severely damaged and set ablaze during a large-scale Russian overnight missile and drone attack. The attack targeted cities across Ukraine, with the capital experiencing significant casualties.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko decried the strike on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex as a "brutal assault on our heritage" and a reflection of "Russia’s Orthodox values." Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of Ukraine’s Orthodox Church, labeled the incident "another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity," questioning what further actions would prompt decisive global intervention against Russian terror.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia deployed 70 missiles and 611 drones across the country. In Kyiv, Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko confirmed five fatalities and 35 injuries resulting from the attacks. Similar strikes were reported in the Dnipro, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, speaking ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, condemned the increased attacks on civilians and heritage sites as war crimes. President Zelenskyy used the occasion to reiterate his appeals for robust Western support, particularly urging G7 nations, gathered for their summit, to exert greater pressure on Russia and bolster Ukraine's air defense capabilities, especially anti-ballistic systems.