A historic monastery complex in Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine, was enveloped in fire after a large Russian missile and drone attack on Sunday night, officials said. The fire occurred at the Dormition Cathedral, the main church of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
Videos on social media showed flames coming out of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, an almost 1,000-year-old religious site in Ukraine. Flames were seen coming out of the ancient buildings, including the Dormition Cathedral. Thick smoke spread across the complex.
Another building inside the monastery complex also caught fire and was badly damaged. The monastery is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its golden domes and religious importance.
У Києві на території Києво-Печерської Лаври триває ліквідація наслідків російських ударів. Виникла пожежа даху Успенського Собору на площі близько 800 кв. м.
Також сталося займання будівлі музейного комплексу «Мистецький арсенал» на площі 1000 кв. м pic.twitter.com/Jly7vUa2db— DSNS.GOV.UA (@SESU_UA) June 15, 2026
Other photos and videos showed broken church walls, collapsed roofs, and burnt metal sheets scattered across the ground. Large parts of the buildings were damaged, with bricks and debris everywhere. Fire damage and structural collapse were visible in multiple sections of the premises.
Some images also show rescue and inspection work, where firefighters and workers are walking through the ruins. President Volodymyr Zelensky is also seen assessing the situation.
President @ZelenskyyUa arrived at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to see the aftermath of russia’s barbaric attack that damaged the grounds of the monastery complex and the Dormition Cathedral. pic.twitter.com/zMWK9HuTQ1
— UNITED24 (@U24_gov_ua) June 15, 2026
Emergency crews rushed to the site as firefighters tried to control the blaze.
La Catedral de la Dormición en el Monasterio Pechersk Lavra de Kyiv tras tras ataque con misiles rusos.
Por algún motivo los cristianitos que aplauden al Zar menguante de la Tercera Roma hoy quedarán sin WiFi, como con las más de 600 iglesias bombardeadas durante estos 4 años. https://t.co/QjbTV9KhWK pic.twitter.com/qS3dgDHrL8
— Martin Tuitero (@TuiteroMartin) June 15, 2026
“This is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Zelenskyy wrote on X.
“In Kharkiv, the Russians carried out a repeat strike against our rescuers as they were putting out a fire at the site of an earlier strike on an industrial facility. My condolences to all their families and loved ones,” he wrote.
Efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian strikes are ongoing in Kyiv, as well as in Kharkiv. Last night, the Russians launched more than 60 missiles at the capital alone. In total, 70 missiles and 611 drones were used against Ukraine. As of now, 28 people have been… pic.twitter.com/WRp6iEOu7h
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) June 15, 2026
Ukraine said Russia carried out a large overnight attack using around 70 missiles and more than 600 drones across the country. In Kyiv, at least four people were killed, and more than 23 others were injured when missiles and drones hit residential areas.
At least 9 people were killed, including at least five in Kharkiv. About 140,000 homes lost electricity due to the drone attack. In Dnipro, Russia struck the grounds of a railway station, a college, and several enterprises.
