Russia Strikes Ukraine
Russia's missile barrage on Ukraine kills 11, damages religious landmark, prompts G7 call
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Russia launched one of its largest aerial barrages of the war overnight on June 14–15, firing 681 drones and missiles at Ukrainian cities. At least 11 people were killed and 53 wounded, according to Herald Bulletin. The attack set fire to the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra — a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051 and one of the most sacred Christian landmarks in the world.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the damaged monastery and called the strike "one of Russia's most serious crimes against Christian culture to date," according to Al Jazeera. He urged G7 leaders meeting in France to respond with "decisive and substantive" action and to send Ukraine more advanced air defense systems.
681 Weapons Fired, Lavra Cathedral Set Ablaze
Ukraine's Air Force said Russia launched 611 drones and 70 missiles. Ukrainian forces intercepted 582 drones and 50 missiles, according to The Guardian. At 2:03 a.m. local time, a Russian Geran-2 drone — a type modeled on the Iranian-made Shahed — struck the roof of the Dormition Cathedral. The blaze burned across 800 square meters before firefighters contained it by 7:30 a.m.
The Security Service of Ukraine released photos of drone fragments recovered from the cathedral's roof, UNITED24 Media reported. Markings on the parts indicated production at Russia's Alabuga special economic zone. The damage was the worst to the Lavra since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Double-Tap Strike Kills Rescuers in Kharkiv
The strikes hit Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Sumy. In Kyiv, 5 people were killed and 34 wounded, including 2 children and a pregnant woman. In Sumy, 2 were killed and 4 injured, according to The Guardian. About 140,000 households in Kyiv lost power after debris damaged electrical substations.
Kharkiv suffered one of the attack's cruelest moments. Russia used a "double-tap" strike — hitting an industrial facility first, then striking again when emergency workers arrived, according to Al Jazeera. Five rescuers and one municipal official were killed in that sequence. Dnipro's House of Organ and Chamber Music was also damaged, and a workshop making medium- and long-range Ukrainian drones was destroyed.
Russia Blames U.S. Missile; Ukraine Shows Drone Debris
Russia's Defense Ministry denied hitting the Lavra. A spokesperson claimed the cathedral was struck by a "malfunctioning" U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile supplied by Western allies, according to Reuters. This framing is part of a wider Russian effort to blame civilian casualties on Western military aid rather than its own strikes.
Ukraine's government pushed back directly. The SBU's drone fragment photos, reported by UNITED24 Media, showed Russian-made components. UNESCO, which had already placed the Lavra on its "World Heritage in Danger" list, condemned the damage and cited a violation of the 1954 Hague Convention protecting cultural sites during war.
G7 Summit Shifts Focus as Leaders Condemn the Attack
The attack hit on the first day of the G7 Summit in France, hosted by President Emmanuel Macron. Macron said the strike on cultural heritage "only strengthens the resolve" of Ukraine's allies, according to CBS News. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot compared the burning cathedral to the 2019 Notre Dame fire, calling it a "barbaric" act, according to NPR.
Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, called the strike "a crime against humanity, history, and Christianity," according to The Independent. Zelenskyy used the moment to push for more Patriot and SAMP/T air defense batteries. The G7 is also expected to accelerate talks on using frozen Russian sovereign assets to fund Ukrainian reconstruction, Al Jazeera reported.
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