Russia Targets Ukraine’s Cultural Landmarks: Lavra, Dovzhenko Film Studios, and Mystetskyi Arsenal Ablaze

On the night of June 14–15, Russia launched a massive missile and drone attack on Ukraine, with some of the strikes aimed at cultural landmarks in Kyiv.

Tetiana Berezhna reported on this.

One of the sites targeted was the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where several buildings caught fire as a result of the attack.

Later, authorities reported that the fire on the roof of the Dormition (Assumption) Cathedral had spread across an area of 800 square meters. According to Tymur Tkachenko, the damage on the grounds of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra is substantial.

In addition, the Dovzhenko Film Studios came under attack. A strike on the studio’s premises sparked a fire, with the costume department suffering the most extensive damage.

The strike destroyed Ukraine’s largest and oldest costume collection. In total, the collection included 100,000 costumes and approximately 3 million individual items of clothing.

The attack also damaged other buildings and facilities on the grounds of the Dovzhenko Film Studios.

Russian forces also struck the grounds of Mystetskyi Arsenal, where a fire broke out. According to the institution’s official statement, the blaze was likely caused by the impact of a Shahed drone.

Meanwhile, during Russia’s overnight attack on Kharkiv on June 15, five emergency responders from the State Emergency Service of Ukraine were killed. They were responding to the aftermath of an initial strike when Russian forces launched a second attack on the same location. At least five other rescuers were injured.

It is worth noting that these strikes are not viewed as isolated incidents. During Russia’s missile attack on Ukraine on May 24, Kyiv experienced the most extensive damage to cultural institutions and historical landmarks since the start of the full-scale war. Among the sites destroyed in that attack was the National Chernobyl Museum.

During the nighttime attack, the enemy employed 681 aerial attack assets, including 70 missiles and 611 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types.

Among the missile weapons used were:

• 6 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles (launched from the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea);
• 34 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles (launched from Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions);
• 30 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles (launched from Russia’s Vologda and Kursk regions).

However, thanks to the efforts of the air defense forces, 632 targets were destroyed or neutralized, including 50 missiles and 582 UAVs of various types. Specifically, air defenses intercepted or suppressed:

• 5 3M22 Zircon anti-ship missiles;
• 15 Iskander-M/S-400 ballistic missiles;
• 30 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles; and
• 582 enemy UAVs of various types.