Russian strike sets Kyiv cathedral ablaze as nine die in attacks

Smoke and fire rises from the Dormition Cathedral in the Orthodox complex of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra following a Russian missile strike on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv on June 15, 2026, amid the Russian invasion in Ukraine. Photo: Genya Savilov / AFP / Lehtikuva

International news

Russian missile and drone attacks killed at least nine people across Ukraine overnight and damaged one of the country's most important religious landmarks, as a large-scale assault struck Kyiv, Kharkiv and other regions.

Ukrainian officials said four people were killed in the capital and five rescue workers died in Kharkiv after a second strike hit emergency crews responding to an earlier attack. The barrage also set fire to the Dormition Cathedral at Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ukraine's best-known religious monuments.

Ukraine's military said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones during the overnight assault, making it one of the largest attacks in recent weeks.