Russian attack damages Kyiv's world heritage cathedral, says culture minister

The archetypal Deputy Director General of the tract reported nary captious harm but said the astir 1000-year-old tract would beryllium inspected by a specialised institute and repaired.  | Photo Credit: AFP

A Russian onslaught overnight damaged Saint Sophia Cathedral successful the historical centre of Kyiv, 1 of Ukraine’s astir important monuments and a designated satellite practice site, the Ukrainian Culture Minister said connected Tuesday (June 10, 2025).

“Last night, the force struck astatine the precise bosom of our individuality again,” Mykola Tochytskyi wrote connected Facebook, calling the 11th-century cathedral “the psyche of each Ukraine.”

“Saint Sophia Cathedral successful Kyiv, a shrine which survived for centuries and symbolises the commencement of our statehood, was damaged,” helium said.

He added that a blast question damaged the cornice connected the main apse of the landmark. Pieces of achromatic plaster crumbled to the crushed with a spread disposable successful a conception of the cornice, Reuters video from the country showed.

This is the archetypal clip since the commencement of the warfare that the cathedral has been damaged, archetypal lawman manager wide of the tract Vadym Kyrylenko told reporters. But Russian drones flying adjacent to the crushed contiguous a menace amid continuous aerial attacks connected the capital.

“As our information guards say, sometimes (drones) astir interaction the crosses connected the doorbell operation 76 m supra the ground,” helium said.

The cathedral was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage database successful 1990 for its architectural importance. The United Nations’ practice assemblage describes the achromatic cathedral and monastery analyzable with greenish roofs and aureate domes arsenic a awesome of the “new Constantinople” created successful the region.

Mr. Kyrylenko reported nary captious harm but said the astir 1000-year-old tract volition beryllium inspected by a specialised institute and repaired.

Over a twelvemonth aft Russia’s full-scale penetration successful February 2022, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee placed the Saint Sophia Cathedral connected the database of World Heritage successful Danger “due to the menace of demolition the Russian violative poses” to the monument and integrity of its past interiors, mosaics and frescoes.

The tract was besides susceptible to daze waves it said.

“It is not lone protected by our state, but besides by the full world. It is the practice of the full world,” Mr. Kyrylenko said.

Published - June 10, 2025 07:26 p.m. IST