Russia launched a large-scale overnight attack on Ukraine on June 15, 2026, firing 70 missiles and 611 drones at several major cities, including Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro.Ukrainian authorities reported that at least 11 people, including civilians and emergency workers, were killed and 53 others were injured.In Kyiv alone, five people died and more than 30 were wounded, including young children.Multiple residential buildings, a market and a grocery store were damaged or set on fire during the strikes.

One of the most significant incidents was damage to the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Ukraine’s most important religious landmarks.The roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire after being struck during the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the damage as a serious attack on Christian cultural heritage and called for stronger international support, particularly enhanced air-defence capabilities.The attacks occurred shortly after separate phone conversations between U.S.President Donald Trump and both Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighting ongoing diplomatic efforts to address the conflict.The war was also expected to be a key topic at the upcoming G7 summit in France.

Russia stated that the strikes targeted military-industrial facilities involved in drone and missile production and denied responsibility for the damage to the religious complex, claiming without evidence that it may have been caused by a Ukrainian air-defence missile.

Ukraine's air force said it intercepted or electronically suppressed most of the incoming aerial threats, though dozens of missiles and drones still reached their targets.

International officials, including France's foreign minister, condemned the attack and compared the damage to what a bombing of Notre-Dame Cathedral would mean for France.