DistantNews
Support us
🇮🇹 Italy /Conflict & Security

Russian Raids Ignite Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv; UNESCO Fears Major Damage

From ANSA · () Italian

Translated from Italian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Russia launched a massive overnight attack across Ukraine, killing at least 11 people and injuring 53.
  • The attack hit Kharkiv, Kyiv, and other major cities, causing a fire at the Dormition Cathedral within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
  • UNESCO expressed concern about significant damage to the World Heritage site and offered support for damage assessment.

A "massive Russian attack" overnight left at least 11 people dead and 53 injured across Ukraine, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The heaviest raids struck Kharkiv and Kyiv, along with several other large cities.

We ask for prayers to save this sanctuary from destruction.

— Metropolitan Epifaniy of KyivDenouncing the attack on the Dormition Cathedral.

One of the holy sites within the famed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery complex, the Dormition Cathedral, caught fire following the assault. Kyiv's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, reported a fire on the cathedral's roof. Timur Tkachenko, head of the local military administration, condemned the attack as a "direct hit" on the site. The metropolitan Epifaniy of Kyiv, primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, denounced the incident as a "crime against humanity, history, and Christianity," calling for prayers to save the sanctuary.

Meanwhile, at least three people died in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Tula, about 200 km south of Moscow, announced regional governor Dmitry Milayev.

This is a crime against humanity, history, and Christianity.

— Metropolitan Epifaniy of KyivDenouncing the attack on the Dormition Cathedral.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) fears "significant damage" to the Dormition Cathedral, a World Heritage site, from the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex. UNESCO stated the raid "reportedly caused significant damage both inside and outside the Dormition Cathedral." Adjacent historic structures, including elements of the Lavra's fortified complex and Ivan Kushnik Tower, were also reportedly hit. UNESCO is ready to "support the competent authorities in assessing the damage sustained" amid the escalating war in Ukraine, noting that the site is one of the most sacred places in Eastern Slavic Orthodoxy and a vital Ukrainian religious and cultural symbol. The organization condemns attacks on cultural property, educational institutions, and media professionals protected by international law, stating that damage to such sites deprives communities of access to culture, education, and shared spaces essential for recovery and social cohesion.

UNESCO fears 'significant damage' to the Dormition Cathedral.

— UNESCOExpressing concern over the impact of the Russian attack on the World Heritage site.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ANSA in Italian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog