Firefighters battled the blaze beneath the towers and golden domes of the monastery’s Dormition Cathedral. Damage at the complex was substantial and a serious fire had broken out, Tymur Tkachenko, the head of the capital’s military administration, said in a Telegram post.
“This is how Russia shows the world its intention to continue the war,” Zelenskyy wrote in a post on X.
President Donald Trump will meet with leaders of the G7 at a summit in France this week, where Ukraine is expected to be high on the agenda. Zelenskyy called on Kyiv’s allies to increase pressure on Moscow and provide additional air defense systems.
French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot likened the site to Paris’ Notre Dame cathedral, while European officials signaled the overnight attacks would only intensify renewed efforts to end the war.
Many Ukrainian museums, cultural sites and churches have come under attack from Russian strikes in the war, now more than four years old. Last week, Russia blamed Ukraine for striking and damaging the historic “Defense of Sevastopol” panorama museum in annexed Crimea.
