Vladimir Putin’s armies bombed a UNESCO World Heritage Site cathedral during a deadly night of attacks on Ukraine.
In the early hours of Monday morning, church bells rang in defiance of Vladimir Putin from the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, where the main Assumption Cathedral was set ablaze by a drone strike.
It is one of the most important Orthodox monasteries in Eastern Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Following the strikes on the 11th-century cathedral, Putin was branded ‘one of the most terrible barbarians in history’.
‘This is one of the biggest Russian crimes against Christian culture to date,’ said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha added: ‘By striking the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, one of the greatest holy places of Christianity, Putin has forever inscribed his name in the list of the most terrible barbarians in history.’
However, Russia has responded to the overnight attacks with the Ministry of Defence claiming that the bombardment was a ‘response to terrorist acts’ by Ukraine.
The Russians did not specify which ‘terrorist attacks’ they were referring to, but stated it had struck defence-industrial complex facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.
