Russia's military said on Monday (June 15, 2026) that it had carried out a "massive strike" on Ukrainian military sites in the capital Kyiv, as well as Kharkiv and Dnipro regions.
Ukrainian authorities said at least nine people were killed in the strikes that sparked a fire on the grounds of the famed UNESCO world heritage site Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force said that Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine overnight, in attacks that killed at least nine people and set fire to a historic cathedral in Kyiv. The air force said Moscow had launched 70 missiles and 611 drones, mainly targeting the capital, adding that Ukrainian air defence units had downed 50 missiles and 582 drones.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy the strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery a grave crime against Christian culture. “A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on X.
He also urged G7 countries to increase pressure on Russia and step up help for Ukraine’s air defence. “It is very important that there be a response from the G7 countries, which are now gathering for their summit -- and that this response be decisive and substantive: more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defense, especially anti-ballistic capabilities,” Mr. Zelenskyy said.
France slams attack on monastery
France on Monday (June 15, 2026) condemned Russia’s latest strikes on Ukraine, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot describing the attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery as akin to bombing Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral or the Basilica in Saint Denis.
“This is a UNESCO world heritage site, which is the equivalent, for us in France, as if Notre Dame or Saint Denis had been bombed, which is totally unacceptable,” said Mr. Barrot, as he arrived for a meeting of European Union Foreign Ministers
Published - June 15, 2026 01:04 pm IST