Russia Strikes Kyiv UNESCO Site Hours After Putin-Trump Call | Today’s news

Ukraine said Kiev’s historic Orthodox cathedral, protected by UNESCO, was hit by Russia’s latest drone and missile attack early Monday, hours after Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump spoke on the phone.

A fire in Kyiv killed four people and injured about 30 when it torched apartment buildings in several parts of the city, according to local authorities and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The strike damaged the Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a historic former monastery and UNESCO World Heritage Site perched on the high bank of the Dnieper River just 2 kilometers from the Presidential Palace.

“We are now dealing with Russian terrorists who have already surpassed ISIS in their crimes against cultural heritage,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Monday X after the Russian strike.

The strike could be described as “the equivalent of the bombing of Notre Dame”, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement that the cathedral was hit by an “expired” American-made Patriot missile fired by Ukrainian air defenses. The Department did not present any evidence.

The Kiev-Pechersk Lavra is an almost 1,000-year-old cluster of churches, known for its network of underground caves that were once used as cells by monks. Orthodox Christians consider it one of the oldest and holiest monasteries.

In 2023, Ukrainian authorities angered the Kremlin by evicting Moscow-led priests from the site as Kiev sought to curb Russia’s influence on the nation’s spiritual life.

The attack drew condemnation at a meeting of European Union foreign ministers in Luxembourg on Monday. The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, described the latest wave of strikes as “war crimes”. Several ministers called for more sanctions against Moscow.

“It is absolutely unacceptable,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said before the meeting. “This is one of the most sacred places for the Christian world and there are no red lines for Russia.”

On the night of today, there were two attacks by Shahed drones on the facilities of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, its director general Maksym Ostapchenko said in video comments for RBC Ukraine posted on Telegram.

One drone, possibly carrying an incendiary mixture, struck the dome and caused a fire, he said. Another hit a tower on the campus as well as a nearby art and exhibition center.

Ukraine failed to shoot down 20 of the 70 missiles fired in the overnight Russian barrage, according to attack statistics posted by its air force command on Telegram. Patriot air defense systems have shot down less than half of the Iskander-M ballistic missiles due to ongoing ammunition shortages, Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said on 11 TV on Monday.

Ukraine is finding it increasingly difficult to buy anti-missile missiles for its Patriot troops as global demand for advanced air defenses has increased amid the US-Iran war. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the Group of Seven nations to respond ahead of their summit in France and reiterated his call for partners to provide Ukraine with more anti-ballistic capabilities in a statement on Monday X.

The second largest Ukrainian city, Kharkiv, was also attacked. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five responders who tried to save civilians were killed during the strikes. According to Zelenskyi and local authorities, the fire also targeted the Dnieper and Kryvyi Rih in the center of the country, as well as regions in the south of Ukraine.

The latest wave of attacks came hours after the Russian and US presidents held what the Kremlin described as a “friendly and sincere” call for Trump’s 80th birthday on Sunday. Trump also spoke separately with Zelensky, who said he had a “great conversation” with the US president.

Talks between Kiev and Moscow to end the US-brokered war have been suspended, and Trump has focused on the conflict with Iran.

Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said Trump and Putin discussed international issues, US-Iran negotiations and contacts between Washington and Moscow. They also dealt with recent strikes against civilian targets in Russia, Ushakov said.

The latest Ukrainian targets of the attack included a Russian chemical plant in the Tula region and an oil depot in the Yaroslavl region, in what Kiev characterized as a continuing effort to deprive Russia of oil receipts and supplies.

Russia said it intercepted 104 drones in several regions overnight. Three people were killed and three wounded in the Tula region, which borders the Moscow region, local authorities said.

Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to attend the Group of Seven summit in France, which begins on Monday.

“We agreed to discuss more during our meeting at the G7 summit,” Zelenskyy said.

The White House offered none of Trump’s challenges.

With help from Otto Tammik, Cory Bennett and Milda Seputyte.

This article was generated from an automated news agency source without text modification.