THE bombing of the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv is “another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity”, the Primate of the independent Orthodox Church of Ukraine, Metropolitan Epiphany, said on Monday.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the Prime Minister of Ukraine, Yulia Svyrydenko, reported on social media that Russia had launched “another massive missile and drone attack against Ukraine”.
Officials report that nine people have been killed, including five rescue workers. Among the sites hit was the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
In a post on social media, Metropolitan Epiphany described the cathedral as “one of the holiest places in the Christian world”.
“We ask for prayers for the salvation of the shrine from destruction,” he wrote. “Another Russian crime against humanity, against history, against Christianity. What more must the Kremlin Antichrist do for the world to realize that decisive action must be taken so that the Russian terror against Ukraine and the very principles of peace comes to an end? Most Holy Theotokos, stop Herod!”
Ms Svyrydenko condemned “a brutal assault on our people and our heritage”. She wrote: “This is the true face of Russia’s Orthodox values.”
The cathedral is located in the centre of Kyiv, and dates back to the 11th century. It is connected to the monastic complex of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, and together they are listed as a site of Outstanding Universal Value by UNESCO. As of 2023, the site is also among the 53 included in UNESCO’s world heritage in danger list.
In the Second World War, the cathedral was almost entirely destroyed. It was reconstructed in 1999 and 2000 “according to the architectural forms of the period of the Ukrainian Baroque in the late 18th century”, UNESCO says.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. As of 10 June, UNESCO has verified 54 religious sites damaged in Ukraine, including the cathedral.
The Ecumenical Patriarch, Bartholomew of Constantinople, has criticised the Russian Orthodox Church for continuing to “bless conflict” in Ukraine (News, 6 October 2023).
The strikes prompted renewed appeals for military support from Ukrainian leaders.
“Ukraine still needs more capabilities to intercept missiles,” Ms Svyrydenko wrote. “This is the only way to protect our people and our cities from these barbaric attacks. We will endure. And everything they have destroyed, we will restore and rebuild.”
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, condemned “one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date”.
“It is important that the world does not remain silent in response to this latest act of Russian barbarism,” he wrote. “This strike on the Lavra is an attack on the Christian community and on the cultural heritage of humanity. There can be no justification for this or for any other similar Russian attacks. What is needed is more cooperation to stop Russia’s war and stronger protection to save lives from Russia.”
A meeting of the G7 leaders began on Monday in France. President Zelensky — who is attending the summit — has called for “more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defence, especially anti-ballistic capabilities”.
The UK has been one of the leading donors to Ukraine, pledging £21.8 billion since February 2022.
On Monday, the British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, described the strikes on the cathedral as “an abhorrent act by Putin: a deliberate act of sacrilege in his increasingly desperate assault on Ukraine. . . We will continue doing everything we can to increase our pressure on the Russian war machine.”