Zelensky says that G7 discussed new sanctions against Russia and supports Ukraine's accession to the European Union Russian attack destroys roof of UNESCO-listed monastery in Kiev 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, Kiev. ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp The Russian offensive also left nine people dead, including rescuers in Kharkiv and at least 20 injured in the capital. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones in one of the largest recent air offensives, aimed mainly at Kiev, Dnipro and Kharkiv. Ukrainian defense reported intercepting or electronically neutralizing 632 targets (50 missiles and 582 drones), but at least 20 ballistic missiles and 27 drones struck 42 locations across the country. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral, which is part of the Kiev-Pechersk monastic complex, caught fire and suffered substantial damage during the bombing. The site, also known as Monastery of the Caves, was built between the 11th and 19th centuries (from 1051) and is classified as a World Heritage Site by Unesco. Russia this morning denied having attacked the Caves Monastery. Rescuers try to put out a fire in the Dormition Cathedral of the ancient Cave Monastery, also known as the Lavra of Kyiv-Pechersk. Evgeniy Maloletka / AP In response, a Ukrainian drone strike hit two bridges linking the Moscow-controlled Kherson region to the Russian-annexed Crimean peninsula. Traffic in the region was completely suspended. On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 123 Ukrainian drones overnight. The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, used his account on the social network X to repudiate the bombing, classifying it as "one of Russia's most serious crimes against Christian culture to date." Zelensky also made an urgent appeal to G7 countries to increase pressure on the Kremlin and step up the deployment of air defense systems to Ukraine. "It is yet another crime against humanity, against history and against Christianity", condemned Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. 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. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot harshly condemned the move as he arrived for a meeting of EU ministers. "This is a UNESCO world heritage site, which is equivalent, for us in France, as if the Notre Dame Cathedral or the Basilica of Saint-Denis had been bombed, which is totally unacceptable," declared Barrot. Deliberate attacks against civilians The bombings left a trail of destruction and deaths in urban areas in several Ukrainian provinces. In the capital, Kiev, the head of the Military Administration, Tymur Tkachenko, updated the toll to four dead and at least 30 injured, including two children aged 5 and 6. In less than 30 minutes, five missiles struck civilian targets in the Shevchenkivskyi district, setting fire to a 25-story residential building, a market and a grocery store. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story building suffered a direct impact. For Tkachenko, the attack on the apartment blocks was a "deliberate decision" by Moscow. In Kharkiv, the country's second largest city, Russian forces resorted to a tactic known as "double tap". The method consisted of launching four additional drones in the Kholodnohirskyi district shortly after the arrival of emergency teams providing assistance in a previous incident. This second impact killed four rescuers and a municipal council employee, in addition to leaving six other rescuers and three civilians injured. Attacks also reached Dnipro, where shells destroyed a local college building and shattered the windows of a school and the House of Organ and Chamber Music. Two people were injured in the region, which was the target of almost 30 combined artillery, missile and guided bomb attacks. In the province of Sumy, a missile hit a residential building, leaving three people injured, including a child. What Russia says The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed responsibility for the attacks, but claimed to have used long-range precision weapons and drones aimed exclusively at legitimate military targets, such as weapons industries, recruitment centers and air bases in Kiev, Kharkiv and Dnipro. In an official note, the Russian government stated that "the objectives were met and all designated facilities were reached." Dormition Cathedral roof catches fire after attack. Danylo Antoniuk / AP