The Russian attack hit the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. According to the head of Polish diplomacy, this definitely destroys the image of Putin as a defender of the faith. Sikorski talks about the outrageous attack.
According to the Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Radoslaw Sikorski, the Russian attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra should disprove the idea that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a defender of the Christian faith. The head of diplomacy stated this on Monday on the X social network after the night raid, reports the Warsaw news agency TASR.
In short:
- A Russian air attack hit the premises of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra during the night
- The fire after the attack destroyed approximately eight hundred square meters of the roof of the temple
- Icons and other valuable items from the attacked Lavra were saved
“Putin may have attacked the Pechersk Lavra because the Orthodox monastery in Kiev was already famous when there was only a forest on the site of Moscow. I hope this outrageous attack will rid Christians around the world of the absurd notion that an old KGB colonel is a defender of the faith,” wrote Sikorski.
Damage to the UNESCO Lavra
During the more than four-hour Russian air attack on Kyiv on Monday night, the premises of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List, were also hit. According to the management of the monastery, it was possible to save the icons and other valuable objects, but the fire destroyed approximately 800 square meters of the roof of the Church of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha described the attack as barbaric. He informed that Ukraine will initiate all relevant procedures within the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and other international mechanisms and will demand an immediate response to this act of state-sponsored barbarism.
Lavra on the endangered list
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is not only included in the UNESCO list, but on September 15, 2023, the UNESCO committee, together with the Church of St. Sophia in Kyiv and the historical center of Lviv, also included it in the List of World Heritage in Danger. The move was a response to the ongoing war in Ukraine and the risks of direct damage to monuments. Their inclusion on the list of endangered sites is to ensure better international protection and access to emergency funds for reconstruction.
During the war unleashed by Russia, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra was also the target of an attack on January 24 of this year. The entrance to the cave complex and the Church of the Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Saint Anna were damaged at the time.
Polish reaction to the attack
In response to the attack, Poland also activated the military aviation, informed the operational command of the armed forces on the X network. Fighters were sent into the air and air defense systems were put on the highest alert.
