Russian strikes kill rescuers and damage Kyiv monastery
Ukrainian officials said five emergency workers died in Kharkiv and at least 20 people were hurt in Kyiv during a broad Russian assault.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
A broad Russian assault on Ukraine killed five rescue workers in Kharkiv and injured at least 20 people in Kyiv on Monday, Ukrainian officials said. The attack also damaged residential areas and sparked a fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine’s most important religious sites.
Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said the rescuers in Kharkiv were hit by a second Russian strike while they were trying to extinguish a fire started by an earlier attack. He said at least five other emergency workers were wounded.
In Kyiv, officials described a night of repeated explosions as ballistic missiles and Shahed drones targeted the capital. Klymenko said Kyiv was the focus of the attack and reported major damage to civilian infrastructure.
Apartment blocks hit in Kyiv
Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, said 20 people, including a child, sought medical treatment in the capital. He said five strikes landed in civilian areas of the Shevchenkivskyi district within less than half an hour.
According to Tkachenko, the sites hit in that district included a 25-story apartment building. He said a market and a grocery store also caught fire.
In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building was struck directly, Tkachenko said. He accused Russia of intentionally targeting apartment buildings.
Fire at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra
Tkachenko said the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra sustained serious damage and that a major fire broke out there. He accused Russia of deliberately striking what he described as a central Christian shrine.
Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, said the roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire during the overnight attack. He condemned the strike as a crime against humanity, history and Christianity, and called for prayers to save the site.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a large religious complex containing monasteries, churches and underground structures. It was built over several centuries, from the 11th to the 19th century.
The complex is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Some of its churches are linked by caves that extend more than 600 meters, or about 2,000 feet, beneath the grounds.
The cathedral and other buildings sit above the right bank of the Dnipro River. The site has drawn pilgrims for centuries and remains one of the best-known religious landmarks in Ukraine.
The Associated Press reported that rescue workers were seen trying to extinguish the fire at the Dormition Cathedral after the strike. Ukrainian officials did not immediately provide a full assessment of damage across all affected areas.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.