A Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv early Monday caused significant damage to the Dormition Cathedral, a key religious site within the city’s historic Pechersk Lavra monastery complex. The assault, which lasted nearly five hours, also resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people across Kyiv and Kharkiv, prompting widespread international condemnation.

The Dormition Cathedral, founded in 1051 and revered in Orthodox Christianity for its association with early Slavic saints, suffered a fire on its roof during the bombardment. The Pechersk Lavra complex holds considerable spiritual importance for Orthodox believers in both Ukraine and Russia, adding to the impact of the strike. Residents of Kyiv reported hearing explosions and witnessing the fire early in the morning.

The barrage included about 70 missiles and 611 drones launched by Russian forces targeting Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian officials stated their air defenses intercepted 50 missiles and 582 drones, but some projectiles penetrated the capital’s defenses, causing structural damage and casualties. Six fatalities were reported in Kyiv, while five others died in Kharkiv, where a follow-up strike appeared to have targeted rescue workers responding to an earlier attack.

On Sunday, Ukraine also claimed responsibility for a drone strike that killed three people in Tula, a city south of Moscow.

In response to the attack, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney condemned the strike on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, describing it as an assault on a sacred site for Eastern Christianity. French Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot likened the damage to what would be the bombing of historic landmarks such as Notre-Dame or Saint-Denis.

Russian officials denied targeting the monastery complex. The Russian Defence Ministry stated that the fire was caused by a malfunction of a U.S.-supplied Patriot missile defense system protecting Kyiv. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) released images of debris from a German-2 strike drone, a variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed drone allegedly modified and used by Russian forces, linking it to the cathedral’s damage.

The attack came shortly after separate phone calls between U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Ukraine and Russia, Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, during which they exchanged birthday wishes with Trump and discussed the possibility of ending the conflict. Zelensky and Trump were expected to hold a meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit starting Monday in Evian, France. Prime Minister Carney was also slated to attend the summit.

The latest assault marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict, with the targeting of a prominent cultural and religious landmark drawing sharp criticism and highlighting the war’s growing toll on civilians and heritage sites.