Russian night strike scorches Kyiv’s historic Lavra, kills four and injures dozens

A coordinated Russian attack on Kyiv during the night deployed more than 50 ballistic missiles, including hypersonic Zircon weapons, and roughly 500 drones. The strike hit the Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO‑listed monastic complex and one of Ukraine’s most important Orthodox sites, setting its cathedral on fire. Four civilians were killed and 23 injured, among them a child and a pregnant woman, as residential blocks in several districts were also damaged.

Metropolitan Epiphanius of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church condemned the attack, calling it “a barbaric act against humanity, history, and Christianity.” The assault caused extensive infrastructure damage, leaving about 140,000 electricity customers without power. In Kharkiv, five rescue workers were killed while trying to extinguish fires sparked by the same wave of attacks. Ukrainian officials described the raid as a brutal assault on both people and cultural heritage.