A Russian missile and drone attack killed 11 people and injured dozens across Ukraine, damaging Kyiv’s historic Dormition Cathedral and prompting call…
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1/10Deadly Barrage: A large-scale Russian missile and drone attack struck several Ukrainian cities early Monday, killing 11 people and injuring 53, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro and other areas, damaging civilian infrastructure. The attack came hours after US President Donald Trump held separate phone calls with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war.
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2/10Historic Cathedral: One of the most significant sites damaged was the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest centres of Orthodox Christianity. The cathedral’s roof caught fire during the attack. The monastery complex, founded in the 11th century, includes churches and underground caves and has served as a pilgrimage site for centuries.
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3/10Conflicting Accounts: Zelenskyy said two Russian drones struck the monastery complex and called the attack one of Russia’s most serious assaults on Christian cultural heritage. Ukraine’s Security Service said debris found at the site belonged to a Russian-made Geran-2 drone. Russia’s Defence Ministry denied responsibility and claimed, without providing evidence, that the cathedral was damaged by a Ukrainian Patriot air-defence missile that had gone off course.
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4/10Kyiv Casualties: Five people were killed in Kyiv, and more than 30 others were injured, including two children aged five and six, city officials said. Residents took shelter as waves of ballistic missiles and drones targeted the capital. Explosions were heard across the city overnight, and smoke rose from several districts after strikes and fires.
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5/10Civilian Damage: Officials said multiple strikes hit civilian locations in Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district within a short period, including a 25-story apartment building. Fires also broke out at a market and a grocery store. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building was directly hit. Emergency crews worked through the night and into the morning at damaged sites.
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6/10Kharkiv Strikes: Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, was also hit during the barrage. Five emergency responders and a civil servant were among those killed while rescue operations were underway, according to Ukrainian authorities. Other regions, including Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih and parts of southern Ukraine, also reported damage from the attacks.
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7/10Scale Of Attack: Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, mainly targeting Kyiv. Air defences intercepted or suppressed 632 aerial targets, including 50 missiles and 582 drones. Preliminary data indicated that 20 ballistic missiles and 27 drones struck 42 locations across the country, while debris from intercepted weapons fell in 12 other areas.
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8/10Russia’s Claims: Russia’s Defence Ministry said the strikes targeted military and industrial facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro. It said the targets included factories and workshops involved in producing drones, cruise missiles and related components, as well as military conscription offices. Moscow also reported that its air defences shot down 123 Ukrainian drones overnight.
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9/10International Response: UNESCO condemned the attack and said the Dormition Cathedral suffered significant damage to its exterior and interior. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the strike was comparable, for France, to an attack on Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Ukraine’s National Commission for UNESCO called for stronger international action, saying attacks on cultural heritage threaten a legacy shared by all humanity.
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10/10Diplomatic Focus: The attack came as Ukraine prepared to raise the war at the Group of Seven summit in France, where Zelenskyy and Trump were expected to attend. Zelenskyy urged allies to provide stronger air-defence support, particularly against ballistic missiles, and called for increased pressure on Russia. He also proposed a meeting with Putin alongside Trump and European leaders, but the Kremlin did not publicly respond.
