UKRAINIAN church leaders have accused Moscow of attempting to revise “historical narratives” by attacking their country’s ancient Christian sites, after two more Orthodox cathedrals were damaged in Russian strikes.

“The ancient Kievan state, whose history they seek to appropriate, has never been part of their historical or spiritual identity,” the Greek Catholic Primate, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, said.

“While we pray for the conversion of all who destroy our holy places, this tragedy has again shown how this war is truly sacrilegious — a war in which ideals are destroyed, moral principles violated, and the name of God blasphemed.”

The Archbishop’s message was published on Monday as the UN Security Council held an emergency session to discuss last week’s attack on Kyiv’s ancient Pechersk Lavra monastic complex, and as Ukraine retaliated by striking military and energy targets across Russia.

Metropolitan Epiphany (Dumenko), the Primate of Ukraine’s independent Orthodox Church, said that he also believed that Moscow hoped to “erase historical truths”. The strike on Dormition Cathedral, in the 11th-century complex, recalled the Nazi bombing of St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

“It was not in Moscow but in Kyiv that the foundations of a Christian state were laid — not in Moscow but in Kyiv that St Sophia has stood for over a thousand years,” told a Greek newspaper at the weekend.

“Moscow seeks to erase this historical truth — this is why it attacks and destroys everything which exposes it.”

Several countries, including Greece, have promised help with repairs to the cathedral, which have included installing emergency covers over its destroyed roof.

Speaking at the weekend, the Pechersk Lavra’s general director, Maksim Ostapenko, said that Russian inscriptions and images would be removed during restoration work. But President Volodymyr Zelensky was considering a request by descendants of Pyotr Stolypin, a Russian Prime Minister assassinated in Kyiv in 1911, to allow his tomb to remain at the Lavra’s Refectory Church.

Historic Orthodox cathedrals in Kherson and Kupyansk were also badly damaged in Russian strikes at the weekend. Ukrainian MPs have called for Russia’s suspension from UNESCO, which recognises the Pechersk Lavra and Dormition Cathedral as sites of “outstanding universal value”.

European Union foreign ministers have sanctioned the Russian Orthodox Church’s metropolitan in Crimea, Tikhon (Shevkunov), for “disseminating Russian propaganda”. A similar call for Patriarch Kirill of Moscow to be added to the sanctions list in July could yet be vetoed by Bulgaria.

Speaking at Brest in Belarus on Sunday, Patriarch Kirill described himself as “Patriarch for Russians, Belarusians and Ukrainians”, and said that he remained “deeply convinced” that his Church could play a “positive, unifying role” across the region.