Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported the death of at least 11 people in a wave of Russian attacks, which also caused a fire at an important religious monument in Kyiv.

Four people were killed in the attacks on the Ukrainian capital, while five members of rescue teams were killed while trying to put out a fire that caused an attack in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, authorities said.

The 11th-century Dormition Cathedral suffered considerable damage in what Zelensky called “one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture today.”

Russia denied attacking the site.

On the other hand, an attack with Ukrainian drones in the Russian city of Tula caused the death of three people and injured three others – including a one-year-old child – according to local authorities.

Drone and missile attacks set buildings and cars on fire and left more than 140,000 people without power in Kyiv, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.

Most of Ukraine was under air strike alert on Monday morning.

The attacks in Kyiv, which affected several residential buildings, left at least 23 injured. Zelensky reported that a total of 53 people had been injured across Ukraine.

Historical heritage

The Dormition Cathedral is part of the Kyiv Caves Monastery (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra), an architectural ensemble of monastic buildings declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This Monday a huge hole could be seen in the side of the church, with flames coming from the partially destroyed roof.

Zelensky said Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones in the overnight attack, and that the fire had already been extinguished.

French President Emmanuel Macron joined the Ukrainian leader in condemning the attack.

“Nothing justifies this attack on our universal heritage,” declared Macron in X.

The head of diplomacy of the European Union, Kaja Kallas, described the attacks against the cathedral and the Ukrainian civilian population as “war crimes.”

These attacks come ahead of this week's G7 meeting of world leaders in France, where the war in Ukraine is on the agenda.

Zelensky said the response at that meeting had to be “decisive and significant: more pressure on the aggressor and more help to Ukraine in air defense, mainly with anti-ballistic missiles.”

The end of the war

The Ukrainian leader had previously said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump about efforts to end the protracted conflict.

Russia said a US-made Patriot air defense missile had hit the cathedral, possibly after a misfire. He presented no evidence to support that claim.

The Russian military declared that its “massive attack” targeted Ukrainian military facilities.

This is not the first time that Kyiv Cathedral has been affected since the large-scale invasion of Ukraine launched by Russia in 2022.

In January, Russian strikes damaged several buildings in the Kyiv Caves Monastery (Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) complex, Ukraine's Ministry of Culture reported at the time.

During the Second World War, the building was almost completely destroyed, except for its southeast tower, according to UNESCO on its website.

The UN body condemned the attack on “one of the places of greatest spiritual and cultural importance in Ukraine.”

“Damage to these institutions deprives communities of access to culture, education and shared spaces, essential elements for recovery and social cohesion,” the organization said in a statement.