It came under massive attack by Russian missiles and drones, with waves of explosions in the capital, , in the early hours of Monday morning, while airstrikes killed at least nine people across the country and injured dozens more.
The historic Pechersk Monastery in flames
Among the targets hit during the prolonged series of attacks were the historic Cathedral of the Assumption, located within Kiev’s Pechersk Monastery, one of Ukraine’s most important religious sites, as well as apartment buildings across the city.
Footage from Pechersk Monastery, a UNESCO world heritage site, showed huge flames licking its domes. Six people were reported injured.
Right now, as Russians continue to strike with over a dozen of ballistic missiles, the Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv‑Pechersk Lavra — a UNESCO World Heritage site and priceless cultural landmark — has been struck and is burning.
A brutal assault on our people and our…— Yulia Svyrydenko (@Svyrydenko_Y)
“The roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world – the Assumption Cathedral of the Pechersk Monastery in Kiev – is on fire,” Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, wrote in X.
Prime Minister Yulia Svirdenko posted a photo of the monastery engulfed in flames and wrote: “A brutal attack on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia’s Orthodox values.”
“We ask for your prayers to save the sanctuary from destruction. Another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity.”
A video of the fire in the Pechersk Monastery was also posted by the Metropolitan of Kyiv Epiphanios.
— Metropolitan Epifaniy (@Epifaniy)
Damage throughout Kiev
A Russian drone explosion is seen on the horizon in front of the World War II “Motherland” monument during a Russian airstrike in Kiev, Ukraine, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka) (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
Damage was reported in 16 parts of the capital, amid the sound of anti-aircraft missile launches and explosions that rattled windows in the city centre.
Missile barrage
“New rocket launches targeting the capital continue to be recorded,” said Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, urging people to stay in shelters as at least 10 were reported injured.
The attacks across Ukraine came after the Russian president, , had warned that Ukraine would be targeted with “systematic” attacks, and amid signs of growing Russian failures on the battlefield.
The attacks come after a period of relative calm in Kiev in recent days, as Moscow prepared its forces with drones and missiles for the latest in a series of recent mass airstrikes.
Five dead rescuers in Kharkiv
Outside the capital, at least five people were killed in the city of Kharkiv in what appeared to be a double attack targeting emergency crews as all five dead were rescuers.
Poland is on standby
Poland, a member of the EU and NATO, has put fighter jets on alert and deployed ground-based air defense systems and reconnaissance radars, the Polish armed forces announced on Monday morning.
Trump’s contacts with Putin and Zelensky
The attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that he had spoken with Donald Trump ahead of the G7 summit in France this week and discussed efforts to end the more than four-year war.
Trump also told Putin on Sunday that ending the conflict in Ukraine was vital and that he was ready to help, according to the Kremlin.
Progress toward a peace deal in Ukraine has been slow as U.S. officials and mediators focus on the conflict in the Middle East. US and Iranian officials said on Sunday that
Three dead from a Ukrainian attack in Tula, Russia
At the same time, Russian authorities announced that the city of Tula, about 200 kilometers south of Moscow, was attacked by drones.
District governor Dmitry Milaev said that a residential area of the city was hit by Ukrainian drones.
“Tonight, a residential area in the city of Tula was targeted by a drone attack,” he said via Telegram.
According to the first information he cited, three people were killed, while three others were injured, including a one-year-old child.
