[86914] Dramatic footage: The moments of the Russian strike on the Dormition Cathedral at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Documentation of the attack against Ukraine's cultural heritage

The administration of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra Reserve released video footage from security cameras, revealing the moments of the precise strike by a Russian drone on the central Dormition Cathedral in the capital, an event that occurred on the night of June 15. As reported on Цензор.НЕТ, which is associated with pro-Ukrainian and Western coverage, the Reserve's administration stated: "We have already managed to revive several times what the enemy tried to destroy. We will restore it now as well."

According to reports on 24 Канал, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) identified remnants of a "Geran" model drone at the impact site, with components marked indicating manufacture in the "Alabuga" Special Economic Zone in Russia. The cumulative damage is estimated at over 500 million hryvnia, with approximately 80% of the cathedral's roof damaged as a result of the attack, along with damage to nearby buildings in the Pecherskyi District, according to the official channel of the "Monaco" Battalion.

The Director General of the Reserve, Maksym Ostapenko, noted in an interview with UA Stream that it was only due to the swift and determined actions of emergency and rescue teams (DSNS) that the spread of fire into the cathedral's interior was prevented, which would have led to the total loss of the historic structure. It was further reported that due to structural risk, the Lavra area was temporarily closed to visitors and an urgent evacuation of icons and sacred items from the complex was carried out.

The attack did not spare other historical and cultural buildings in the vicinity of the Lavra, including the National Historical Library and the Museum of Books and Printing, according to a report in Фокус. Restoration efforts are expected to continue, according to preliminary estimates, for about two years, as numerous rescue forces are operating on the ground to clear debris and prevent further collapse.