Four people were killed in a World Heritage site in Kyiv after Vladimir Putin launched a wave of missiles in a massive aerial attack. Five rescuers were killed, and 20 were injured after strikes set apartment buildings ablaze and sparked a fire at one of the country's most significant religious landmarks.
Damage at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
Damage at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastery, was substantial, and a serious fire had broken out, Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said. He accused Russia of deliberately striking 'the heart of one of the largest Christian shrines'. The rescuers were killed in Kharkiv by a second Russian strike as they fought a blaze caused by an earlier attack, interior minister Ihor Klymenko said.
The central Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery was founded in 1051 and is a recognisable landmark in Kyiv, with its domed gold cathedrals.
Ukrainian Response
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said: 'A brutal assault on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia's Orthodox values.' The Lavra was previously damaged during World War Two in a massive explosion on November 3, 1941, when Kyiv was under German occupation. The attacks last night are the worst since earlier in June, when a missile attack killed almost two dozen Ukrainians and wounded 100 others.
Ukraine said it is working with UNESCO to ensure 'immediate and adequate responses to this state barbarism'.
Other Cultural Sites Struck
Putin's forces appeared to target key cultural sites in their latest onslaught. Also struck was the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio, which holds the largest and oldest costume collection in Ukraine. Kharkiv Art Museum and opera theatre were hit, as was the historic House of Organ and Chamber Music in Dnipro.
Olena Kurylo, 56, from Kharkiv, said today: 'The Russians are striking out of some kind of impotence, hitting museums, theatres, churches. Where is their 'God is with us' now? Striking the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra? Where is God with them? They have the devil with them, Satan! May they all burn in hell.'
