Russian Attacks on Kyiv: Cave Monastery on Fire, At Least 23 Injured

The heart of the complex is a cathedral that was destroyed in the Second World War in 1941 and only rebuilt in the late 1990s. As a result of a Russian missile attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, the main church of the cave monastery, which is part of the World Heritage, has caught fire. The so-called lower part of the complex continues to be used by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church despite state pressure. The church had seen itself as part of the Moscow Patriarchate until the Russian invasion in 2022, but has since broken away from Moscow.

Kharkiv Also Affected

Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, was also a target of the attacks. In Kharkiv alone, five rescue workers were killed and four other people injured as a result of the air strikes, the news portal "The Kyiv Independent" reported, citing Oleh Synyehubov. Massive attacks on Ukraine: At least nine dead. The United Nations registered a record high of injured and killed civilians in Ukraine in May within a single month since April 2022.

The attacks hit Ukraine at an already tense moment. After a power outage lasting several days, the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is once again being supplied with electricity from the outside. The uninterrupted power supply to the facility is considered essential to ensure the cooling of the reactors even when reactor blocks are shut down.

Reactions and Background

International observers see the destruction of cultural monuments as a deliberate escalation. The monastery's origins date back to the 11th century. The complex contains underground passages, catacombs, and rock caves of great religious and historical significance.

Rescue workers in Kyiv and Kharkiv were in continuous operation after the attacks. In several districts of Kyiv, fires broke out following the impacts and could only be brought under control in the early morning hours. The Ukrainian Air Force had previously warned of missiles and drones coming from several directions.

The Ukrainian leadership sharply condemned the attacks and once again called on the international community for a decisive response. Russia did not initially comment on the accusations. Moscow routinely denies targeted attacks on civilian targets and speaks of attacks on military infrastructure.

Expansion of the Attacks

In recent weeks, Russia has significantly intensified its airstrikes on Ukrainian cities. According to UN figures, as many civilians were killed or injured in May as at no time since April 2022. The Ukrainian government speaks of a deliberate attempt to wear down the population and further damage the country's energy infrastructure.

There were also attacks in the Russian border region overnight. In the city of Tula, some 200 kilometers south of Moscow, three people were killed in a Ukrainian drone attack, according to the Russian regional governor Dmitry Milyaev. The Ukrainian side did not initially comment on the incident.

Following the Russian invasion in 2022, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke away from the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate in a schism. Nevertheless, the lower part of the monastery complex is under political pressure, as it continues to be used by supporters of the church associated with the Moscow Patriarchate.

The cave monastery, also known as the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, is one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Orthodox Christianity. During the Soviet era, the complex was used as a museum; after Ukraine's independence in 1991, it was returned to its religious purpose.

Smoke was still visible the day after the attack. Rescue workers searched the rubble for possible further victims. According to the authorities, the exact number of injured could still rise.

Cultural Goods in the Crosshairs

Eyewitnesses reported an explosion that made the entire neighborhood tremble. Window panes shattered, facades were damaged. Images of splintering windows in surrounding residential buildings spread on social media.

The Ukrainian government announced that it would push ahead with the reconstruction of the damaged cultural monument with international support. Cultural goods in war zones are specially protected under the 1954 Hague Convention. Violations of this agreement can be prosecuted as war crimes.

Further reports on the situation in Ukraine can be found on the overview page on the Ukraine war. The developments in Kyiv and Kharkiv point to a new level of escalation in Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, in which historical sites are also deliberately affected.