Russian attack sets fire to ancient monastery in Kyiv, kills 5 rescuers in Kharkiv

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine killed five rescuers in Kharkiv and wounded at least 20 people in Kyiv on Monday. The strikes set apartment buildings on fire and damaged one of the country's most important religious sites. The rescuers died in Kharkiv when a second Russian strike hit while they were fighting a fire from an earlier attack, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said. At least five other emergency workers were wounded. In Kyiv, a series of powerful explosions echoed across the city. Ballistic missiles and Shahed drones hit civilian areas. Officials urged people to take shelter underground. "Kyiv is under the main strike. There is significant destruction of civilian infrastructure," Klymenko said. Twenty people, including a child, sought medical help in the capital, said Tymur Tkachenko, head of the Kyiv City Military Administration. Five strikes hit civilian sites in the city's Shevchenkivskyi district in less than 30 minutes, he said. A 25-story apartment building, a market, and a grocery store caught fire. In the Obolonskyi district, a nine-story residential building took a direct hit. Tkachenko accused Russia of striking apartment blocks on purpose. "This is their deliberate decision," he said. The attack also caused a serious fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a monastic complex. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral caught fire during the overnight attack, said Metropolitan Epiphanius, head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. He condemned the strike as another Russian crime "against humanity, against history, against Christianity" and appealed for prayers to save the site. The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, also known as the Monastery of the Caves, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It includes monasteries and churches built from the 11th to the 19th century. Some of the churches are connected by a labyrinth of caves spanning more than 600 meters (2,000 feet). The site overlooks the Dnipro River and has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries.