Mon, 15 Jun 2026 Kyiv 15:58Berlin 14:58London 13:58 UKR / DE / EN

Massive Fires in Kyiv: Lavra and Art Museum Ablaze After Russian Attack

A Russian night attack on June 15 set fire to the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal. Firefighting efforts are ongoing, according to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS).

Massive Fires in Kyiv: Lavra and Art Museum Ablaze After Russian Attack
Photo: uimg.pravda.com.ua

A Russian missile attack on the night of June 15 struck two major cultural sites in Kyiv. According to the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (DSNS), fires spread across the grounds of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal. As of 8:15 AM, firefighters had not yet extinguished the blazes.

At the monastery complex, flames engulfed about 800 square meters of the roof of the Dormition Cathedral (Uspensky Cathedral). At the Mystetskyi Arsenal, one of Ukraine’s largest art and exhibition complexes, a fire covered roughly 1,000 square meters. DSNS spokesperson Pavlo Petrov told Ukrainska Pravda that efforts to contain the damage from the Russian attack were ongoing at both sites.

Ukraine initiated procedures with UNESCO following the attack. The Pechersk Lavra has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1990. The strike on the capital’s religious and cultural heritage is part of a series of Russian air attacks on Ukrainian cities.

Source: www.pravda.com.ua