Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Suffers Heavy Damage During Russian Assault

KYIV — The Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine’s most revered religious landmarks, was damaged and set ablaze during a massive overnight Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv on June 15. The monastery complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in the 11th century, suffered damage as air-raid sirens sounded across the capital and residents sought shelter underground.

According to Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko, a fire broke out on the roof of the cathedral after the strike. The Lavra brotherhood called on the faithful to pray for the long-suffering monastery and all those affected by the attack. The modern Dormition Cathedral was rebuilt beginning in 1998 after earlier destruction by the Soviets, and was consecrated on Aug. 24, 2000, by the late Metr. Vladimir of Kyiv and All Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky visited the site and described the attack as one of Russia’s gravest assaults on Christian culture. Russia denied targeting the monastery, claiming the damage was caused by a U.S.-made Patriot air-defense missile, while Ukrainian officials said evidence pointed to a Russian drone strike.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot compared the attack to bombing Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, while European leaders broadly condemned the strike. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called it a war crime. Poland temporarily scrambled fighter jets amid concerns about a possible airspace violation. Ukraine’s military reported that Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, with air defenses intercepting most of them.

The attack also damaged Kyiv’s Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio and struck near the Art Arsenal museum, where a gilded dome was reportedly blown into the street. As dawn broke, monastery staff rang bells in defiance while firefighters battled the blaze. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv would urgently pursue action through UNESCO and other international mechanisms in response to what he called “state barbarism.”

The overnight bombardment killed multiple people across Ukraine and injured dozens more, underscoring the continuing intensity of the war as international leaders gathered in France for the G7 summit.

Reacting to the strike, Metr. Onuphry of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) expressed condolences for those affected in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and elsewhere in Ukraine. He said the diocese received news of the damage to the Lavra "with pain," describing the monastery as a shrine that has long served as "a spiritual center of the Orthodox world and a symbol of prayer and faith of our people." Referring to casualties from the attacks, he added: "We also pray for all the wounded and affected, asking the Lord to grant them healing, spiritual strength and His all-powerful help." The hierarch said the diocese was praying for the repose of those killed and for comfort for families affected by the war.

Metr. Kliment, head of the Synodal Information and Education Department of the UOC, said the damage to the Dormition Cathedral reflected the broader suffering experienced throughout Ukraine during the conflict. He emphasized that the Church condemns Russia's military aggression against Ukraine and described the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as a place of prayer that had been painstakingly restored after Soviet-era destruction. According to Metr. Kliment, the cathedral's damage symbolizes the wounds borne by the Ukrainian people as a whole, while also serving as a reminder of the need for continued prayer for an end to the war and for the restoration of both sacred sites and communities affected by the fighting.

Previously, the UOJ reported that an Orthodox church was damaged in a Russian strike in Vilniansk.