Russia Hits Kyiv’s UNESCO Site Hours After Putin-Trump Call
Ukraine said a historic UNESCO-protected Orthodox cathedral in Kyiv was hit in the latest Russian drone and missile strike early on Monday, hours after Vladimir
Ukraine said a historic UNESCO-protected Orthodox cathedral in Kyiv was hit in the latest Russian drone and missile strike early on Monday, hours after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump held a phone call. The barrage killed four people and injured about 30 in Kyiv as it set apartment buildings in several parts of the city ablaze, according to local authorities and the Emergencies Ministry. The strike damaged a cathedral in Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a historic former monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage site perched on a high bank of River Dnipro just 2 kilometers from the Presidential Palace. “Now we are dealing with Russian terrorists who have already outmatched ISIS in their crimes against cultural heritage,” Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X Monday after the Russian strike. The strike can be described as “the equivalent of bombing Notre Dame,” French French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said. The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the cathedral was hit by an “expired” US-made Patriot missile fired by Ukrainian air defense. The ministry didn’t provide any evidence. Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a nearly 1,000-year-old cluster of churches, famous for its network of underground caves once used by monks as cells.
It’s considered by Orthodox Christians as one of their oldest and most sacred monasteries. In 2023, Ukrainian authorities irked the Kremlin by evicting Moscow-led priests from the site as Kyiv moved to reduce Russia’s sway over the nation’s spiritual life. The attack drew condemnation from European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the latest wave of strikes as “war crimes.” Several ministers called for additional sanctions on Moscow. “It’s absolutely unacceptable,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said ahead of the meeting. “That is one of the most holy places for Christian world and for Russia there is no red lines in there.” There were two Shahed drone strikes against Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra facilities overnight, its director general, Maksym Ostapchenko, said in video comments to RBC Ukraine published on Telegram. One drone, possibly carrying an incendiary mixture, hit the dome, causing a fire, he said. Another one hit a tower at the compound, as well as a nearby art and exhibitions center. Ukraine failed to down 20 of 70 missiles fired in the overnight Russian barrage, according to a tally of the attack published by its Air Force command on Telegram.
Patriot air defense systems downed fewer than half of ballistic Iskander-M missiles due to persistent shortage of munitions, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on 1 1 TV on Monday. Ukraine is finding it increasingly hard to buy interceptor missiles for its Patriot units as global demand for advanced air defense soared amid US-Iran war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged Group of Seven nations for a response ahead of their summit in France, reiterating his call on partners to provide Ukraine with more anti-ballistic capabilities in a statement on X Monday. Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, also came under attack. Five emergency responders were killed during strikes as they attempted to rescue civilians, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. The barrage also targeted Dnipro and Kryvyi Rih in the country’s center, as well as regions in southern Ukraine, according to Zelenskyy and local authorities. The latest wave of attacks come hours after the Russian and US presidents held what the Kremlin described as a “friendly and frank” call on Trump’s 80th birthday on Sunday. Trump also spoke separately with Zelenskyy, who said he had a “great conversation” with the US president. US-brokered talks between Kyiv and Moscow on ending the war have been stalled with Trump focused on the conflict with Iran.
The BriefWire