Moscow Claims US-Made Patriot Missile Struck Kyiv Pechersk Lavra

The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex was damaged by a missile launched from a US-made Patriot air defense system, according to Russia's Defense Ministry, which released details of a large-scale overnight strike on military and defense-industrial targets across Ukraine.

In a statement, the ministry said one possible reason for the alleged malfunction was that Western countries had supplied Kyiv with Patriot missiles whose service life had already expired.

"One of the reasons for the system's incorrect operation may have been that Western countries supplied the Kyiv regime with missiles that had exceeded their expiration dates,” the ministry said.

Russia Details Targets of Overnight Strike

The Defense Ministry said Russian forces carried out the operation using attack drones as well as high-precision air-, land- and sea-launched weapons.

According to the ministry, the strikes targeted facilities linked to Ukraine's defense-industrial sector, military airfields and territorial recruitment centers.

The ministry stated that Russian forces hit a facility producing and configuring medium- and long-range unmanned aerial vehicles on the grounds of the Oleksandr Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kyiv.

Among the targets reportedly struck were the Mayak Plant, which Russia said manufactures warheads for Flamingo ground-launched missiles, drone production facilities, military airfields, recruitment centers in Kyiv and defense-related enterprises in Kharkiv.

The ministry added that all designated targets had been successfully hit.

Fire Reported at Dormition Cathedral

Earlier, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that a fire had broken out on the roof of the Dormition Cathedral within the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex.

The administration of the national preserve later stated that no one was injured in the incident and that sacred artifacts and icons had been evacuated from the site.

Russia's Defense Ministry insisted that Russian forces do not plan or carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure.

"Russian armed forces neither plan nor conduct strikes against civilian infrastructure facilities,” the ministry said.

Strike Followed Attack on Sevastopol Museum

The Russian statement came after Ukrainian forces reportedly struck the Panorama Museum "The Defense of Sevastopol 1854-1855” during the night of June 10.

No casualties were reported, but a major fire broke out on the roof of the building following the attack.

Russia's Foreign Ministry described the incident as an act of vandalism and barbarism, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Kyiv was attempting to "strike at history,” adding that "history cannot be defeated.”

Commenting on the reported damage to the Lavra, State Duma deputy Andrei Kolesnik told Gazeta.ru that Russian forces would never deliberately target the historic monastery complex.

"Our servicemen would under no circumstances strike the Lavra. It is a sacred site for us, one that dates back to the era of Kyivan Rus,” Kolesnik said.

Reports on the Scale of the Operation

The operation involved approximately 480 attack drones, around 28 Kh-101 air-launched cruise missiles and at least seven Zircon hypersonic missiles.

Russian military officials have not publicly confirmed those figures.

The Defense Ministry reiterated that Russian forces focus exclusively on military and defense-related targets and do not carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure.