Kyiv monastery hit by drone; fears of collapse

Kyiv's historic Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site, caught fire after a Russian drone struck the ancient complex in the early hours of Monday. The attack, part of a larger wave of Russian drone and missile assaults on Ukraine, caused extensive damage, raising concerns about the structural integrity of the thousand-year-old religious center.

SvD correspondents on the scene described the air thick with the smell of smoke shortly after the air raid sirens wailed. Firefighters battled the blaze engulfing the wooden structure, with warnings that the entire church could collapse. A Shahed drone reportedly punched a hole through the church's roof, igniting the fire.

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The fire is still spreading. Everything is made of wood – probably the entire roof will collapse. Maybe the whole building will collapse.

Ukraine's Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, present at the site, stated that the fire was still spreading and expressed fears of a complete collapse. He praised the swift actions of workers and firefighters who managed to rescue several ancient artifacts but lamented the loss of irreplaceable items. Klymenko accused Russia of aiming to destroy Ukraine's cultural heritage.

Beyond the damage to the monastery, the broader Russian attacks resulted in four deaths and 23 injuries across Ukraine, including a pregnant woman and a child. Additionally, approximately 140,000 residents in Kyiv were left without power following an assault on the energy grid. Explosions continued intermittently throughout the morning, with air raid alerts remaining active.

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This is what Putin wants. He wants to destroy our cultural heritage.