Nine people were killed and dozens injured in a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, officials say. The 11th‑Century Dormition Cathedral at Kyiv Pechersk Lavra was significantly damaged, and five rescue workers died battling a fire in Kharkiv. Kyiv suffered widespread power outages affecting more than 140,000 residents, and Ukraine has appealed to UNESCO and other international bodies for urgent action.
Russian Strikes Kill Nine, Damage 11th‑Century Kyiv Cathedral as Rescue Workers Die in Kharkiv
The Dormition Cathedral is a religious and cultural symbol for Ukraine's people. [Reuters]
Nine people were killed and dozens more injured after a wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine, officials said, in an attack that also set fire to a major religious landmark in Kyiv.
Ukrainian authorities reported that four people were killed in strikes on Kyiv, while five rescue workers died trying to extinguish a blaze caused by a Russian strike in the northeastern city of Kharkiv. Separately, Ukrainian officials said a drone strike in the Russian city of Tula, south of Moscow, killed three people and wounded three others, including a one-year-old.
Damage to Historic Cathedral
The 11th‑Century Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra sustained significant damage in the attacks. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called the damage a "brutal assault on our people and our heritage." Ukraine's foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, said on X that the government would "urgently initiate all relevant procedures within UNESCO and all other international mechanisms," demanding immediate responses to what he described as "state barbarism."
Kyiv residents take shelter at a metro station [Reuters]
Human Toll and Infrastructure Impact
Missile and drone strikes ignited fires in buildings and vehicles and left more than 140,000 residents of Kyiv without electricity, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Most of the country was under air‑raid warnings on Monday. The strikes on Kyiv targeted several residential buildings and, according to officials, left at least 23 people wounded. Five others were wounded in Kharkiv.
Regional and International Reactions
Poland said it scrambled fighter jets and placed ground‑based air‑defence systems on alert in a "preventive" response to the strikes on Kyiv. The attacks came ahead of a G7 meeting in France, where the conflict in Ukraine was expected to be on the agenda.
Context: Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full‑scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, triggering international condemnation and sustained hostilities. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about efforts to end the long‑running conflict.
Note: Casualty figures and damage reports are based on official Ukrainian statements and may be updated as rescue operations and assessments continue.
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