Restoring Kyiv cathedral hit by Russia could take two years: director

Kyiv (Ukraine) (AFP) – It could take around two years to repair Kyiv's Dormition Cathedral and its surrounding monastery complex after they were damaged in a Russian attack, its director said Tuesday.

Issued on: 16/06/2026 - 14:24

A Russian barrage of missiles and drones on Monday morning killed at least 11 people across Ukraine and sparked a fire at the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, one of the most important Orthodox monasteries.

"According to our expert estimates, assuming everything goes smoothly, the restoration and renovation work could take around two years," Maksym Ostapenko, the director of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra complex, told reporters during a press conference at the site.

He added the damage on the monastery was preliminary valued at around 500 million hryvnias ($11 million), an estimate expected to be finalised in the coming days.