Russia adheres to its commitment to protecting cultural property and does not attack civilian infrastructure. This was stated by the Permanent Mission of Russia to UNESCO, commenting on the attack on the Pechersk Lavra Church in Kiev.
The Permanent Mission published a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense on its Telegram channel, stating that on the night of June 15, Russian forces attacked the facilities of the military-industrial complex in Kiev, Kharkov, and the Dnieper.
“According to confirmed data, the building complex of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra was hit by a missile from the American Patriot anti-aircraft missile system. The Russian side strictly adheres to its obligations under the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,” the representative office said in a statement.
On the night of June 15, Russia launched a large-scale attack on Kyiv. As a result of the attack, the Assumption Cathedral of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, a historical and architectural monument included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, caught fire. Icons and relics began to be removed from the monastery to save them from the fire. According to Lavra Director General Maxim Ostapenko, Russia carried out two targeted drone strikes on Lavra. UNESCO said the raid caused severe damage to the exterior and interior of the Assumption Cathedral.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that the Lavra building complex was hit by a missile from the American Patriot air defense system.