Western leaders and top officials condemned Russia on Monday after an overnight missile and drone assault damaged Kyiv’s historic Pechersk Lavra Monastery, with several describing the attack on the UNESCO World Heritage site as a war crime and evidence of Moscow’s disregard for cultural and religious heritage. The barrage, which also killed four civilians in the capital, sparked outrage across Europe and the United States.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the strikes once again showed that Russia’s only objective was “violence and destruction.” French President Emmanuel Macron called the attack on one of Eastern Orthodoxy’s holiest sites impossible to justify and said the destruction underscored Russia’s rejection of peace efforts.
La Laure de Kyiv-Pechersk, l'un des hauts lieux de l'orthodoxie ukrainienne inscrit au patrimoine mondial de l'humanité de l'UNESCO, a été touchée cette nuit dans l'importante frappe de missiles et de drones russes qui a, de nouveau, pris Kyiv pour cible et fait des victimes…— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 15, 2026
As G7 leaders prepare to meet in Evian, Macron said France and its partners would continue pushing for a ceasefire, accusing Moscow of refusing to end a war that has entered its fifth year. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas described the damage inflicted on the centuries-old monastery as a “war crime” and called for those responsible to be held accountable. “In response, today we are adopting additional sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and its shadow fleet,” she wrote on X.
