Russian Drone Strike Sets Fire to Kyiv’s Rebuilt Dormition Cathedral, Killing 11

Russian forces carried out a coordinated drone and missile attack that ignited a blaze at Kyiv’s historic Pechersk Lavra, killing five rescuers in Kharkiv and injuring dozens in the capital. AP News reported that the strike also damaged the Dormition Cathedral within the UNESCO-listed monastery. DW later described the fire at the cathedral as having killed at least nine people and wounded dozens. The New York Times subsequently said a Russian drone set fire to the rebuilt Dormition Cathedral, raising the death toll to 11 and confirming dozens of injuries.

The incident formed part of a broader Russian strike on Kyiv that caused extensive casualties and damage. The attack underscored the vulnerability of cultural heritage sites amid the ongoing conflict, prompting condemnation from Ukrainian religious leaders and officials. Metropolitan Epiphanius denounced the targeting of the Lavra, while the Interior Ministry pledged to investigate the perpetrators.