A large-scale Russian attack against Ukraine in the early hours of Monday (15) caused a serious fire and destroyed part of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the oldest and most important Christian monasteries in the country, located in the capital, Kyiv. The Russian offensive also left five rescuers dead in Kharkiv and at least 20 injured in the capital. In an apparent immediate response, a Ukrainian drone strike struck two bridges linking the Moscow-controlled Kherson region to the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. Traffic in the region was completely suspended. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral, which is part of the Kyiv-Pechersk monastic complex, caught fire during the bombing. The site, also known as Monastery of the Caves, was built between the 11th and 19th centuries and is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine, condemned the Russian action: "It's yet another crime against humanity, against history and against Christianity." Ukraine's Foreign Minister reacted harshly to the bombing of the religious temple. "We will urgently initiate all relevant procedures within UNESCO for immediate and appropriate responses to this state barbarism", declared the chancellor. Deliberate attacks against civilians A wave of Shahed ballistic missiles and drones hit residential neighborhoods in Kyiv. According to Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, five bombings hit civilian targets in the Shevchenkivskyi district in less than 30 minutes. A 25-story residential building, a market and a grocery store were set on fire. In Obolonskyi district, a nine-story building suffered a direct hit. "This is their [Russia's] deliberate decision," Tkachenko accused, saying the Kremlin intentionally targeted the heart of one of the world's greatest Christian shrines. In Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city, five rescuers were killed by a second Russian shelling as they tried to put out fire generated by an initial attack. Another five emergency services workers were injured, according to Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko. *With information from the Associated Press and Reuters.