NEW DELHI: Russia on Monday denied responsibility for damage to the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery during its latest large-scale missile and drone assault on Ukraine, claiming the Unesco world heritage site was struck by a US-made Patriot air-defence missile rather than a Russian attack.
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The denial came after Ukrainian authorities accused Moscow of damaging the centuries-old monastery complex, one of the country's most important religious and cultural landmarks, during an overnight barrage that killed at least nine people and caused extensive destruction in Kyiv and other cities.
Russia's defence ministry said the damage was caused by a malfunctioning Patriot missile supplied by Western countries to Ukraine.
"According to confirmed reports, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex was hit by a missile from an American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. One of the reasons for the system's malfunction could have been that Western countries supplied the Kyiv regime with expired missiles," Russia's defence ministry said in a statement.
The ministry did not provide evidence to support the claim.
Ukraine says Russian strike damaged historic monastery
Ukrainian officials rejected Moscow's account and said the monastery was hit during one of the heaviest Russian attacks on the capital in recent weeks.
According to Kyiv's military administration, the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra suffered significant damage in what authorities described as a direct strike.
The monastery, founded in 1051, is among Ukraine's most revered Orthodox Christian sites and is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, calling it an assault on both religion and cultural heritage.
"A Russian strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra set the Dormition Cathedral on fire – a church whose history dates back to the 11th century. And this is one of Russia's most serious crimes against Christian culture to date," Zelenskiy said on X.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko also criticised the strike.
"A brutal assault on our people and our heritage. This is the true face of Russia's Orthodox values," she said on X.
Massive overnight assault
The dispute over the monastery came amid a major Russian missile and drone attack across Ukraine.
Authorities said at least four people were killed and around 30 injured in Kyiv, while another five people were killed in Kharkiv. Power outages were reported in several areas of the capital as residents were urged to seek shelter.
The scale of the attack prompted neighbouring Poland, a member of both NATO and the European Union, to briefly scramble fighter jets.
Ukraine's military said Russia launched dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones during the overnight assault, targeting multiple regions across the country.
Zelenskiy urges more support ahead of G7 summit
As Ukraine dealt with the aftermath of the attacks, Zelenskiy renewed calls for greater international support, particularly for air-defence systems.
The Ukrainian leader said he had spoken with US President Donald Trump ahead of the G7 summit in France and discussed efforts to end the war, which has now stretched well beyond four years.
Zelenskiy also urged G7 countries to increase pressure on Moscow and expand assistance for Ukraine's air-defence capabilities as Russian missile and drone attacks continue to intensify.
The latest exchange of accusations highlights the sharply differing narratives surrounding the war, with Moscow blaming Ukrainian air-defence systems for damage to civilian sites while Kyiv accuses Russia of deliberately targeting both population centres and cultural landmarks.
