KYIV, Ukraine — Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone assault against several major Ukrainian cities in the early hours of Monday, resulting in at least 11 deaths, numerous injuries, and damage to a prominent cultural landmark, Ukrainian officials reported. The overnight strikes targeted Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and Kharkiv, the country’s second-largest city, among others.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the attacks killed 11 civilians and emergency responders and wounded 53 people. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed five fatalities and at least 30 injuries in the capital, including young children. Explosions and missile alarms prompted residents to seek shelter underground as multiple buildings, including residential apartments, a market, and a grocery store, were hit. In Kyiv’s Shevchenkivskyi district, at least five strikes occurred within 30 minutes, while further damage was reported in the Obolonskyi district.
Ukraine’s military reported that Russian forces launched about 70 missiles and more than 600 drones overnight, mainly concentrating on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro. Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or neutralized the majority of the incoming weapons, with 632 aerial targets—including 50 missiles and 582 drones—destroyed or suppressed. Despite these efforts, around 20 ballistic missiles and 27 attack drones struck 42 sites across the country, causing substantial damage.
Russia’s Defense Ministry stated the operations targeted Ukrainian defense and industrial facilities, including workshops producing components for long-range drones and cruise missiles. The ministry claimed to have struck a drone manufacturing workshop located on the premises of Kyiv’s Dovzhenko film studios, as well as the Radar plant and the Mayak plant, which it asserted produced drone and missile components. Additionally, military conscription offices in Kyiv were reportedly targeted. Russian officials also alleged, without providing evidence, that a Ukrainian air defense missile mistakenly hit the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery complex.
The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century Eastern Orthodox monastery complex and a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffered significant damage when its Dormition Cathedral’s roof caught fire during the attacks. Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, condemned the strike as a crime against “humanity, history, and Christianity,” calling on the faithful to pray for the monument’s salvation. President Zelensky described the damage as Russia’s “biggest crime yet against Christian culture” and visited the site alongside Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko and other officials.
The monastery complex, known for its historic churches and interconnected cave systems, overlooks the Dnipro River and has been a religious pilgrimage site for centuries. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot equated the attack’s cultural impact to the bombing of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Ukraine’s National Commission for UNESCO urged the international community to increase pressure on Russia and advocated for the country’s removal from the organization, emphasizing that attacks on cultural heritage aim to erase historical memory and harm humanity’s shared legacy.
The attacks came shortly after phone conversations involving Zelensky, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and U.S. President Donald Trump, signaling ongoing diplomatic efforts amid the conflict. The war in Ukraine is expected to be a key agenda item during the upcoming Group of Seven (G7) summit in France, where Zelensky and Trump are scheduled to participate. Zelensky called on G7 nations to respond decisively with increased support for Ukraine’s air defenses, particularly in enhancing capabilities against ballistic missiles.