Russia claims Patriot missile hit Kyiv cathedral; Ukraine blames drones, propaganda

Russia's Defense Ministry has asserted that its forces targeted defense industry sites in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro during the night of June 14-15. In a statement released on its Telegram channel, the ministry claimed that a missile fired from an American-made Patriot air defense system struck the St. Sophia Cathedral complex in Kyiv.

"Russia strictly adheres to its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict," the Russian mission's statement read. However, Ukraine has countered these claims, warning that Russia began spreading its narratives and propaganda following the strike on the cathedral.

Ukraine's Air Force Communications Department head, Yuriy Ihnat, stated that the attack involved a significant number of ballistic missiles. He noted that air defense systems, including Patriot missiles, were deployed. Ihnat suggested that fragments of a Russian "Zircon" missile, likely shot down by Ukrainian air defense, were being photographed by Ukrainians who then mistakenly identified them as belonging to a Patriot missile.

Maksym Ostapenko, the director of the St. Sophia Cathedral, stated that the shrine sustained two precise strikes from Russian drones. UNESCO has reported that the strike caused significant damage to both the exterior and interior of the cathedral. Relics and icons were removed from the monastery to protect them from the flames.