KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia launched a massive overnight assault on Ukraine, firing hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles that killed at least 11 people and set fire to a renowned religious site, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other officials reported Monday. The attacks targeted the capital, Kyiv, and the second-largest city, Kharkiv, just hours after President Donald Trump spoke separately by phone with Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday.
This indicates that Washington continues its diplomatic push to end the war that began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The bombardment is set to dominate discussions at the G7 summit in France, where both Zelenskyy and Trump are expected to attend. Zelenskyy aims to keep the war in focus as the Iran conflict draws global attention away from Ukraine's plight.
"This is how Russia shows the world its intention to continue the war," Zelenskyy posted on X, calling for a decisive response from G7 nations, including more pressure on Russia and increased support for Ukraine's air defense, especially anti-ballistic capabilities.
In Kyiv, the attack killed five people and wounded at least 30, including two children aged 5 and 6, according to Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Tymur Tkachenko, head of the city's Military Administration. Explosions rocked the city as ballistic missiles and Shahed drones struck, sending clouds of black smoke over the capital.
Five strikes hit civilian sites in the Shevchenkivskyi district within 30 minutes, including a 25-story apartment building, a market, and a grocery store. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building was directly hit.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed the strikes targeted defense and industrial facilities, including a workshop at the Dovzhenko film studios producing drone components and the Radar and Mayak plants, which it said make drone parts and cruise missiles. Military conscription offices in Kyiv were also struck, the ministry said.
The attack heavily damaged the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, an 11th-century monastic complex and UNESCO World Heritage site. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire, prompting Metropolitan Epiphanius to condemn the strike as a crime against humanity, history, and Christianity.
Zelenskyy called it Russia's "biggest crime yet against Christian culture" and visited the scene. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot compared the damage to a bombing of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, while President Emmanuel Macron said it strengthens allies' resolve for a ceasefire.
Russia claimed, without evidence, that a Ukrainian Patriot missile caused the damage. Ukraine's air force reported Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones, with air defenses intercepting or suppressing 632 aerial targets.
Preliminary data showed 20 ballistic missiles and 27 attack drones hit 42 locations. The attacks also struck Dnipro and Kharkiv, with at least 11 killed and 53 wounded nationwide.
Associated Press writers Illia Novikov in Kyiv, Samuel Petrequin in London, and Barry Hatton in Lisbon contributed to this report.