Russian attack sets fire to religious site in Kyiv, kills 5 in Kharkiv

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. Evgeniy Maloletka/AP hide caption

KYIV, Ukraine — A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine killed five rescuers in Kharkiv and wounded at least 20 people in the capital Kyiv on Monday as strikes set apartment buildings ablaze and sparked a fire at one of the country's most significant religious landmarks.

The rescuers were killed in Kharkiv by a second Russian strike as they fought a blaze caused by an earlier attack, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. At least five other emergency workers were wounded.

A series of powerful explosions echoed across Kyiv, with a wave of ballistic missiles followed by Shahed drones as many people sought shelter underground and officials urged residents to take cover.

"Kyiv is under the main strike. There is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure," Klymenko said.

Twenty people, including a child, sought medical help in the capital, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration.

Five strikes hit civilian sites in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district in less than 30 minutes, he said, including a 25-story apartment building, while a market and a grocery store caught fire. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building took a direct hit.

Tkachenko accused Russia of striking apartment blocks on purpose.