Russian Airstrikes Kill Nine Across Ukraine, Ignite Kyiv Cathedral

Russian air strikes across Ukraine on June 15 killed at least nine people. In Kharkiv, five State Emergency Service rescuers were killed and five others wounded while fighting fires caused by the strikes, and a fire broke out at the Kharkiv Art Museum. In Kyiv, a massive overnight attack damaged many districts and set the Dormition cathedral of the Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site, ablaze; four people were killed and 13 injured in the capital.

The attacks came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying ending the conflict was vital, and separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a call marking Trump’s 80th birthday. Ukrainian officials, including Interior Minister Igor Klymenko and Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, condemned the strikes as a “brutal assault” on civilians and heritage.

Russia claimed the raids targeted military‑industrial sites in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro in retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.