Russia Launches Massive Missile and Drone Assault on Ukraine, 11 Killed

Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles at Ukraine's largest cities overnight, killing at least 11 people, damaging civilian infrastructure, and setting fire to part of a renowned religious site, Ukrainian officials said on Monday.

A series of powerful explosions rocked Kyiv as waves of ballistic missiles and Shahed drones targeted the capital. Residents sought shelter underground as authorities urged people to remain in safe locations.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the attacks killed 11 civilians and emergency workers and injured 53 people across the country.

Kyiv Bears the Brunt of the Attack

The barrage killed five people in Kyiv, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko. At least 30 others were injured, including two children aged five and six, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration.

Ukraine's Air Force reported that Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones overnight, primarily targeting Kyiv while also striking the cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv. Air defence systems reportedly intercepted or electronically suppressed 632 aerial targets, including 50 missiles and 582 drones.

Preliminary data indicated that 20 ballistic missiles and 27 attack drones struck 42 locations across Ukraine, while debris from intercepted drones fell at 12 additional sites.

Russia's Defence Ministry claimed it had struck Kyiv's Radar plant, which it said manufactures drone components, as well as the Mayak plant, allegedly involved in producing Ukraine's Flamingo long-range cruise missiles. Military conscription offices in Kyiv were also reportedly hit.

UNESCO Heritage Site Damaged

One of the most significant incidents occurred at the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves. Authorities said substantial damage was caused and a major fire broke out at the complex.

Tkachenko accused Russia of deliberately targeting "the heart of one of the largest Christian shrines."

The roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire during the attack, according to Metropolitan Epiphanius. He condemned the strike as a crime "against humanity, against history, against Christianity" and called for prayers to preserve the site.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is a sprawling complex of monasteries and churches dating from the 11th to the 19th centuries. The UNESCO-listed site includes a vast network of underground caves extending more than 600 metres and has served as a major pilgrimage destination for centuries.

Residential Areas Hit

According to Kyiv officials, five strikes hit civilian locations in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district within less than 30 minutes. A 25-storey apartment building was damaged, while a market and grocery store caught fire.

In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-storey residential building sustained a direct hit.

Tkachenko described the strikes on apartment buildings as a "deliberate decision" by Russia.

Russia's Defence Ministry, however, said it used long-range precision weapons and drones to target military-industrial facilities in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Dnipro, as well as military air bases and conscription offices. It stated that all designated targets had been successfully hit.

International Condemnation

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot compared the attack on the Lavra to "a bombing of Notre Dame" for the French people.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the attack reinforced Ukraine's allies' determination to pursue a ceasefire and work toward peace.

"Just as nothing can justify the war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than four years, nothing can justify this attack on our shared universal heritage," Macron wrote on social media.

Russia's Defence Ministry disputed responsibility for the damage to the monastery complex, claiming—without providing evidence—that the site may have been struck by a U.S.-made Patriot air defence missile launched by Ukraine.

Emergency Workers Killed in Kharkiv

In Kharkiv, local authorities accused Russian forces of employing a "double-tap" tactic by launching additional drone strikes after emergency responders arrived at the scene of an initial attack in the Kholodnohirskyi district.

Four emergency service workers and one employee of the Kharkiv City Council's emergency department were killed. Six rescuers and three civilians were injured.

Separately, a woman was injured in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district, where residential buildings and vehicles were damaged in another drone strike.

College Destroyed in Dnipro

In Dnipro, one building belonging to a local college was destroyed. The blast wave also shattered windows at a school and the city's House of Organ and Chamber Music, according to regional officials.

Two people were injured, while infrastructure, businesses, educational facilities and cultural institutions suffered damage.

Russian forces also carried out nearly 30 attacks using drones, artillery, missiles and guided bombs across Dnipro and the districts of Kryvyi Rih, Pavlohrad, Synelnykove and Nikopol.

Child Among Injured in Sumy Region

In the northeastern Sumy region, three people, including a child, were injured when a Russian strike hit an apartment building and damaged a nearby non-residential structure, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said.

The overnight bombardment was among the largest aerial attacks launched by Russia in recent months, causing widespread destruction across multiple regions of Ukraine and drawing renewed international condemnation.