St. Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv, Damaged in Russian Strike

St. Sophia Cathedral, Kyiv. Source: DailyArt

KYIV — St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv has been damaged by Russian missiles, according to a spokesman for the Ukrainian government.

On the night of June 10, the Russian military launched 315 drones and seven missiles into Ukraine, most of which targeted Kyiv. Ukraine’s air defense destroyed 277 drones and all seven missiles.

However, one of the drones that penetrated Ukraine’s air defense struck St. Sophia Cathedral.

Built in the 11th century, St. Sophia is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is owned by the Ukrainian government and belongs to the schismatic Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

According to Nelia Kukovalska, director general of the National Conservation Area “St. Sophia of Kyiv”, the damage was minor. Repairs to the cornice of the cathedral’s central apse will be required.

St. Sophia Cathedral last made international news in 1995, when a riot broke out during the funeral of Volodymyr Romaniuk, patriarch of the schismatic “Ukrainian Orthodox Church – Kiev Patriarchate” (UOC-KP).

When the Ukrainian government denied the UOC-KP permission to inter Romaniuk in the Cathedral itself, mourners smashed the asphalt outside of St. Sophia and dug an improvised grave.

Police were forced to use batons and tear gas to clear the area.

In 2018, the UOC-KP merged with another schismatic body, the Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church, to form the Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

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