© picture alliance / Anadolu | State Emergency Service of Ukraine
The Russian attack on the Pechersk Lavra monastery in central Kyiv has been strongly condemned by Ukraine’s European allies. According to Ukrainian President Zelensky, Russian airstrikes killed 11 people and injured 53 across Ukraine.
"It's of the utmost importance that the world does not remain silent in response to this latest act of Russian brutality. This attack on the Lavra is an attack on the Christian community and on humanity’s cultural heritage,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X in response to the Russian attack on the cathedral in Kyiv. "There is no justification for this, nor for other similar Russian attacks. What is needed is greater cooperation to end Russia’s war and stronger protection to save lives from Russia."
The attack on the cathedral will also be discussed at the G7 summit beginning on Monday in Evian-les-Bains, France. Zelensky calls for a response: "This is how Russia shows the world that it intends to continue the war. It is of the utmost importance that the G7 countries, currently gathered for their summit, respond to this, and that this response be decisive and substantive: more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defense, particularly its missile defense capabilities.”
Other political leaders have also condemned the Russian attack. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated that the attack on the religious site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, would be equivalent for France to the bombing of Notre-Dame or the Cathedral of Saint-Denis, and called the attack “totally unacceptable.”
French President Emmanuel Macron also reacted on X to the attack on “one of the most important centers of Ukrainian Orthodoxy”: “Just like the war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years, there is absolutely no justification for this attack on our universal heritage. France stands ready to cooperate with the Ukrainian authorities responsible for the heritage."
Macron pledges to work toward a ceasefire between the parties in this conflict during the G7 summit: "This attack only strengthens our resolve to, together with our allies and partners, do everything in our power to work toward a ceasefire—which Russia still stubbornly refuses—and subsequently toward peace. We will work on this during the G7 in Evian."
Kaja Kallas, the Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, called the attacks “war crimes” for which “Russia will have to answer.” Kallas announced new sanctions against Russia: "In response, we are adopting additional sanctions today targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex and its shadow fleet. Each measure further restricts Russia’s room for maneuver."
For António Costa, President of the European Council, “last night’s large-scale bombings and attacks, targeting civilians and the Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv,” demonstrate that Russia “is not prepared to engage seriously in peace negotiations.” He, too, will raise the issue at the G7 summit: “Time is not on Russia’s side. When G7 leaders meet today in Evian, we will discuss how to increase pressure on Russia to come to the negotiating table for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
The monastery has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990. The United Nations agency also responded: “The attack is reported to have caused significant damage to the exterior and interior of the Dormition Cathedral. Adjacent historic structures, including parts of the Lavra’s fortress complex and the Ivan Kushnik Tower, are also reported to have been affected.”
"UNESCO condemns attacks on cultural heritage, educational institutions, students, teaching staff, and media professionals, which are protected under international law. Damage to such institutions deprives communities of access to culture, education, and communal spaces that are essential for recovery and social cohesion. UNESCO stands ready to support the relevant authorities in assessing the damage to cultural and educational institutions and identifying urgent measures within its mandate."
Russia claims that it did not strike the historic Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv during a nighttime attack on military factories in the Ukrainian capital, and that a U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile damaged the religious site. The Russian Ministry of Defense blames Zelensky’s Western allies: “A possible reason for the malfunction of this system could be that Western countries supplied the regime in Kyiv with missiles whose expiration date had passed.”
Zelensky does not believe Russia’s claims: “It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located,” he wrote on X. "At this time, there are reportedly 35 casualties in Kyiv. Across the country, 53 people have been injured and 11 people are reported to have been killed in this large-scale Russian attack."
Picture: © picture alliance / Anadolu | State Emergency Service of Ukraine