EditRussian assault sets fire to Kyiv’s historic Pechersk Lavra as Ukraine presses deep strikes into Russia
The broader battlefield picture shows Ukraine is steadily gaining ground in long-range offensive capabilities
Russia unleashed a heavy barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine overnight, striking the capital Kyiv with particular ferocity and setting ablaze the iconic Pechersk Lavra, one of Eastern Orthodoxy’s most revered monasteries and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The 11th-century Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra suffered direct hits that tore through its roof and sparked a fierce blaze. Firefighters and monastery staff battled the flames through the night to protect sacred relics and artworks as smoke billowed over the historic hillside complex. Ukrainian officials condemned the strike as a deliberate attack on the country’s spiritual and cultural heart.
At least four people were killed and 23 others wounded in Kyiv alone, with around 140,000 households left without electricity after strikes hit residential areas and power infrastructure. In Kharkiv, five rescuers died in a secondary attack, while additional casualties were reported in Sumy and other regions. Ukrainian air defences intercepted a large number of incoming projectiles, but the sheer scale of the assault made it one of the more intense raids on the capital in recent months.
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
Metropolitan Epiphaniy, primate of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, denounced the assault as “another Russian crime against humanity, against history, and against Christianity.” Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and Culture Minister Tetyana Berezhna joined in the condemnation, describing the targeting of the Lavra as an assault on Ukraine’s very identity.
While Russia persists with its campaign of strikes on civilian areas and energy infrastructure, the broader battlefield picture shows Ukraine steadily gaining ground in long-range offensive capabilities. Over recent weeks, Ukrainian drones and missiles have repeatedly hit targets deep inside Russia and occupied Crimea, focusing on oil refineries, ammunition depots, military airfields and key supply routes.
These operations have severely disrupted Russian logistics, particularly the supply lines linking mainland Russia to Crimea. Repeated Ukrainian strikes on the Chonhar bridge and other crossings have created fuel shortages on the peninsula and forced Moscow to divert significant air-defence resources far from the front lines.
Military analysts say this contrast highlights a new phase of the war: Russia continues to terrorise Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine is systematically degrading the infrastructure that sustains Moscow’s war effort. Despite Russia’s persistent manpower pressure in eastern Ukraine, Kyiv now holds a clear edge in the aerial and deep-strike domain thanks largely to its expanding fleet of domestically produced long-range weapons.
As diplomatic contacts between Presidents Zelenskyy, Trump and Putin are expected to be renewed, the overnight attack on the Pechersk Lavra serves as a grim reminder that the conflict remains bitterly violent and far from any resolution.
Caption: Russia has attacked the territory of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most significant spiritual and cultural landmarks of Ukraine and the world. Russian forces damaged Uspenskiy Cathedral, pictured on fire. [@AmbVasyl on X]
Updated: June 15, 2026 - 08:32
