A major Russian missile and drone assault on Kyiv on June 15 left at least five people dead and 29 injured, while also causing fires and significant destruction across the Ukrainian capital. Among the damaged sites was the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage monastery complex with centuries-old religious and cultural ties to Bulgaria and the broader Slavic Orthodox world.
Ukrainian authorities reported that the strike involved dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, with air defenses intercepting most of them but failing to prevent multiple impacts in the capital. Residential areas, energy infrastructure, museums, cultural institutions, and transport hubs were all affected, with widespread blackouts reported for roughly 140,000 residents.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, founded in the 11th century, was directly hit and partially set on fire during the attack. It is one of the most important centers of Eastern Orthodox Christianity and has historically played a key role in the development and dissemination of Slavic religious culture, including in Bulgaria.
According to church officials, the attack caused fire damage in the monastery complex.
“The roof of one of the holiest places in the Christian world - the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra - is on fire,” said Metropolitan Epiphany, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.
