Historic Ukrainian Monastery Damaged in Russian Attack, Kyiv Says

Moscow has denied the allegation, saying that the Kyiv-Pechersk monastery was hit by a U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile.

Firefighters spray water on the Dormition Cathedral of the 1,000-year-old Monastery of Caves, also known as Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, following a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, on June 15, 2026. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP Photo

The roof of a cathedral in a 1,000-year-old monastery in Kyiv was damaged by a Russian attack, authorities said, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling it a crime against Christian heritage.

“Due to the Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, the Dormition Cathedral—a church whose history dates back to the 11th century—was burning,” Zelenskyy said in a June 15 post on X.