Russian attacks cause fire at monastery complex in Kiev, five killed in Kharkiv

Major Russian attacks on Ukraine this morning killed five Ukrainian rescue workers in Kharkiv and injured at least 20 people in the capital Kiev when rocket and drone strikes caused fires in apartment buildings and one of the most famous Orthodox shrines, the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Rescuers were killed in Kharkiv in a second Russian strike while extinguishing a fire caused by an earlier attack, Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said.

At least five emergency service members were injured.

A series of powerful explosions echoed across Kiev in a wave of ballistic missiles followed by attacks by Shahed drones, many people sought refuge in underground shelters, and officials urged citizens to evacuate.

"Kyiv is under heavy attack, significant destruction has been done to civilian infrastructure," Klymenko said.

Twenty people, including a child, sought medical help in the capital, said Timur Tkachenko, head of the Kiev military administration.

Five strikes hit Kiev's Shevchenko district in less than 30 minutes, he said. A 25-story apartment building was also hit, while a market and a shop caught fire. In the Obolonsky district, a nine-story apartment building was directly hit.

Tkachenko accused Russia of deliberately targeting apartment blocks.

The damage was done in the monastery complex of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, where a large fire broke out, Tkachenko said, accusing Russia of "deliberately targeting the heart of one of the greatest Christian monuments."

The roof of the main church in the complex was set on fire in the attack overnight, said Metropolitan Epiphany, the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church. He condemned the attack, calling it “another Russian crime against humanity, history and Christianity” and called for prayers to save the complex.

The Kiev Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a large complex of monasteries and churches, some of which are underground, built from the 11th to the 19th centuries. Some of the churches are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and are connected by caves in a labyrinth more than 600 meters long.