Russia's strike on Kyiv and the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra aimed to project strength and mask weakness — ISW
At the same time, ISW notes that the Russian information space is attempting to deflect responsibility for the consequences of the attack. According to analysts, this includes both blaming Ukraine and portraying the strikes as militarily justified.
Russia's Ministry of Defense claimed that "confirmed reports" allegedly indicated that a Ukrainian Patriot interceptor missile struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
Ukrainian officials quickly rejected those allegations. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat explained that debris from an air-defense missile could indeed have been found at the site as a result of air-defense operations. He suggested that the debris likely came from the interception of a Russian Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic missile.
Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation also stated that Russia launched a coordinated information campaign following the strike.
According to the Center, Russia is attempting to promote two contradictory narratives:
Russian officials have echoed these claims. Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova asserted that reports accusing Russia of striking the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra were allegedly fabricated by the West.
She also repeated the Russian Defense Ministry's claim that the damage was supposedly caused by a Ukrainian Patriot interceptor missile.
Other Russian officials made similar statements, alleging that Ukraine staged the attack on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and was using accusations against Moscow to provoke an international reaction.
As previously reported, during the night of June 15, Russian forces launched a large-scale combined attack on Kyiv, using missiles and drones. Explosions were heard across the capital, and numerous fires broke out, including in residential buildings and on the grounds of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra.
As a result of the strikes, five people were killed and 30 others were injured, including two children and a pregnant woman.
Russian attacks also targeted several other Ukrainian cities that night:
According to Ukraine's Air Force, radio-technical units detected a total of 681 aerial attack assets, including 70 missiles and 611 drones of various types.
Following the damage caused by the strike, the grounds of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra National Preserve were temporarily closed to visitors.
Ukraine has since initiated relevant procedures within UNESCO and other international mechanisms, calling for an "immediate and adequate response" to the Russian strike.
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18 of June 2026
