The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an Orthodox monastic complex listed as a Unesco World Heritage site, was hit by a strike during the night of June 14 to 15. The strike was carried out by a Russian drone, according to the international community and Ukrainian authorities. French President Emmanuel Macron called the bombing of this sacred religious site "an attack against [our] universal heritage” on X. Images published by French news agency AFP show the near-destruction of the Dormition Cathedral, one of the most sacred buildings within the complex. The fire caused by the strike tore through the cathedral’s roof and façade. But on X, pro-Russian social media users have been claiming that Russia isn’t to blame for the strike. They, along with the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, say that Ukraine was behind it. Was it all an elaborate plan by Ukraine? Pro-Russian social media users have claimed in a number of X posts (including here and here) that Ukraine had staged the bombing of the cathedral – posts that have garnered more than 250,000 views since June 15. They say that the photos and videos showing the building on fire that have been shared by international media outlets are just part of the ruse. "Even though filming bombings is banned in Ukraine,” photographers equipped with “professional material” were conveniently positioned on the rooftops facing the cathedral ahead of the strike, alleged one social media user, who shared two images that supposedly show photographers preparing to photograph the strike. The first image shows two men setting up a tripod on a rooftop with a view looking down on the cathedral in broad daylight. The second image shows a person taking a photo of the cathedral engulfed in flames against the night sky.