Deadly Russian Strikes on Ukraine Set Kyiv Cathedral Ablaze as Rescuers Killed in Kharkiv

KYIV -A barrage of Russian missiles slammed into several major Ukrainian cities on Monday, killing at least nine people, igniting a historic cathedral in the heart of Kyiv, and wiping out a team of rescue workers in the northeastern city of Kharkiv in a devastating “double-tap” strike.

The attack on Kyiv set the roof of the Dormition Cathedral alight, part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra (Monastery of the Caves), a revered Orthodox Christian shrine and UNESCO World Heritage site. Thick black smoke billowed above the golden domes as firefighters battled the blaze from aerial platforms and inside the smoke-filled sanctuary.

The wave of attacks came as news of a US-brokered understanding with Iran raised hopes for a path toward peace in the Middle East a stark contrast to the grinding, four-year war in Ukraine, where diplomatic efforts remain stalled.

Cathedral Struck in ‘Crime Against History’

Witnesses in Kyiv described scenes of chaos as air defenses intercepted incoming projectiles, sending glowing debris raining down on residential streets. AFP journalists saw residents scrambling for shelter while more than a dozen fire trucks surrounded the cathedral complex. A gaping hole was torn into one side of the church, and flames licked through a partially destroyed roof.

“This is not just an attack on stone and gold,” said Kyiv’s Metropolitan Epiphanius, who denounced the strike as a “crime against humanity, history, and Christianity.”

Tymur Tkachenko, head of the local military administration, confirmed a “direct strike” on the sacred site. The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, known for its iconic golden domes, has been a flashpoint in Ukraine’s religious split from Moscow. In 2022, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine formally broke away from Russian influence, and two years later, the government banned the Moscow-linked branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. The Russian Orthodox Church has remained a vocal supporter of President Vladimir Putin’s war.

At least four people were killed in Kyiv, officials said. Another 23 were injured, and more than 140,000 residents in the capital’s northern districts were left without electricity.

‘Repeated Russian Strikes’ Kill Rescuers in Kharkiv

The deadliest single incident occurred in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, located just 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Russian border. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five State Emergency Service rescuers were killed while fighting fires from an initial strike, after Russian forces launched a second missile at the same location a notorious “double-tap” tactic designed to kill first responders.

“They came to save lives and were hit by a repeated Russian strike,” Klymenko wrote on Telegram. At least five other people were wounded in Kharkiv.

The head of the Dnipropetrovsk region, Oleksandr Hanzha, reported that the central city of Dnipro was also hit, wounding one person. In the northeastern Sumy region, three people including a child were injured.

Ukraine Strikes Back Near Moscow

Ukraine continues to take the war to Russian soil. A Ukrainian drone strike killed three people and wounded three others in the city of Tula, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Moscow, regional governor Dmitry Milyaev said Monday. Kyiv has intensified aerial attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent weeks, aiming to cut off fuel supplies that fund the Kremlin’s war machine.

Peace Talks Still Distant

The latest bloodshed unfolded shortly after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin held separate phone calls with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday.

Zelensky said he “discussed things that could help bring about peace now,” and his adviser Dmytro Lytvyn described a “quite substantive conversation.” However, the Kremlin’s readout of Putin’s call focused primarily on Iran, with Kremlin adviser Yury Ushakov telling reporters that U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner currently engaged in Iranian affairs would soon return to Russia.

There was no immediate indication of a breakthrough in ending Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II, which has killed tens of thousands of civilians and hundreds of thousands of soldiers. As both sides trade drone and missile blows daily, Monday’s attacks served as a brutal reminder that a diplomatic settlement remains as distant as ever.

Our Pashto-Dari Website

  Donate Here