Large-scale Russian attack sparks fire at historic monastery and other sites in Ukraine, in photos

Aptopix Russia Ukraine War
Rescue workers try to put out a fire at the Dormition Cathedral of thousand-year-old Monastery of Caves, also known as Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, following a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine, Monday, June 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine on Monday killed rescue workers and sparked a fire Monday at one of the country’s most significant religious landmarks, a monastic complex of golden domes in the heart of Kyiv.

Flames and smoke rose from Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves. Associated Press photographers documented rescue workers fighting the blaze as clerics looked on or tried to salvage objects from the centuries-old site.

The Russian attacks killed rescue workers in Kharkiv, a city in northeastern Ukraine, while many people were wounded in Kyiv, the capital, where residents sought shelter underground.

Categories: Associated Press, News, Top Stories