Nine killed, historic monastery on fire as Ukraine faces major Russian attacks

Russia unleashed its most intense air assault on the Ukrainian capital in two weeks, striking the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery and killing at least four people.

Authorities reported that the central Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051 and a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural heritage, sustained serious damage from a direct attack, causing it to catch fire. Tymur Tkachenko, head of the capital's military administration, described the assault as "brutal" and a reflection of "Russia's Orthodox values."

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A brutal assault on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia's Orthodox values.

The fresh strikes occurred after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with US President Donald Trump about efforts to end the ongoing conflict, ahead of an upcoming G7 meeting. The attacks left approximately 140,000 residents without power due to damaged electricity lines. In total, four people were killed and 23 injured in Kyiv, according to Tkachenko. Metropolitan Epifaniy, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, questioned how much more "Russian terror" the world would tolerate before taking decisive action.

Beyond Kyiv, the attacks extended to other regions. Five emergency service rescuers were killed and at least five others injured in a second Russian strike on Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. Three people, including a child, were wounded in Sumy. Meanwhile, Ukrainian drones were reported to be repelled over Russia as both nations continued their exchange of strikes. Poland, a neighboring NATO member, briefly scrambled fighter jets due to a possible airspace incursion but later reported no violation.

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What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realise that decisive action must be taken so that the Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace come to an end?