A significant assault by Russia in Ukraine has resulted in the deaths of five individuals and left over 20 people injured, with a religious site engulfed in flames.
The attack, which occurred in Kyiv on Monday, June 15, caused a fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a prominent religious landmark in the country. Images from the scene show residential buildings consumed by fire following the incident.
According to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, the five fatalities occurred in Kharkiv during a second Russian strike as they were battling a fire caused by an earlier attack. Additionally, at least five emergency responders sustained injuries.
Tymur Tkachenko, Head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, accused Russia of intentionally targeting a major Christian shrine, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, resulting in significant damage to the monastic complex.
Metropolitan Epiphanius, the leader of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, reported that the Dormition Cathedral’s roof caught fire during the overnight assault. He condemned the attack as a heinous act against humanity, history, and Christianity, urging prayers to safeguard the site.
A series of powerful explosions rocked Kyiv as ballistic missiles and Shahed drones struck the city. Many residents sought refuge underground, and officials advised taking cover as civilian infrastructure suffered significant destruction.
Tkachenko disclosed that twenty individuals, including a child, sought medical assistance in the capital. He revealed that within half an hour, five strikes hit civilian locations in the Shevchenkivskyi district, causing fires in a 25-story apartment building, a market, and a grocery store.
Additionally, a residential building in the Obolonskyi district was directly hit during the onslaught. Tkachenko criticized the deliberate targeting of civilian sites by the aggressors.