Kyiv struck in the middle of the night: a historic monastery in flames and at least 13 injured in a large-scale Russian attack

A major Russian airstrike targeted Ukraine overnight Sunday to Monday, hitting the capital Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv. According to Ukrainian authorities, at least 13 people were injured in Kyiv, while five were killed and several others wounded in Kharkiv during one of the most significant offensives in recent weeks.

In Kyiv, Russian drones and missiles struck several areas of the city, causing power outages in various neighborhoods. One of the most striking symbols of the attack was the burning of the Dormition Cathedral within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, one of Ukraine's most iconic religious and cultural sites.

Emergency services worked for several hours to try to control the flames and secure the affected areas. Ukrainian authorities indicated that several civilian buildings had also sustained damage as a result of the Russian airstrikes.

In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, the bombings left at least five dead and several more wounded. Local authorities continued their rescue operations to assess the full extent of the destruction and the human toll.

Faced with the intensity of the attack, Poland activated its air defense systems and scrambled fighter jets to monitor its airspace. Warsaw regularly takes such measures when Russian strikes are carried out near its borders.

This new wave of bombings comes as the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky seeks to strengthen diplomatic efforts to end the war. A few hours before the attack, he had announced that he had spoken with US President Donald Trump to discuss peace prospects ahead of the G7 meeting in France.

Despite ongoing diplomatic discussions, fighting continues to rage on the ground. This new Russian offensive underscores the fragility of any prospect for a swift resolution to the conflict, which has dragged on for over four years and continues to take a heavy toll on the Ukrainian civilian population.