LIVE – Ukraine: eleven dead after strikes, Zelensky accuses Moscow of having “deliberately” targeted the damaged cathedral district | TF1 Info

The German government condemned “with the greatest firmness” the Russian strikes which led to the fire of an emblematic cathedral in kyiv in the night, denied by Moscow which accuses the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense. These attacks “show the lack of enthusiasm, on the Russian side, to do anything towards appeasement and pacification of the conflict”, reacted Sebastian Hille, one of the spokespersons for German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, during a regular press conference.

The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky this morning visited the Dormition Cathedral, damaged overnight during a wave of strikes, which he attributes to Russia.

The Ukrainian president accused Russia of having deliberately targeted with two drones the district of kyiv where the Dormition Cathedral is located, damaged during the night during a wave of strikes, Moscow for its part ensuring that the building was hit by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense missile. “Two Russian drones deliberately attacked this part of the city where the Lavra (of the kyiv Caves) and the Mystetsky Arsenal are located,” a museum located near this monastery, said Volodymyr Zelensky, in a message on social networks after visiting the site of the damaged cathedral.

UNESCO condemns the fire at the cathedral in kyiv, caused by a Russian strike according to the Ukrainian authorities, and is concerned about the damage caused. “The strike would have caused significant damage to the exterior and interior of the Dormition Cathedral. Adjacent historic structures, including elements of the Lavra fortified complex and the Ivan Kouchnik Tower, would also have been affected,” the organization said. the UN in charge of cultural heritage, in a press release (nouvelle fenêtre).

UNESCO says it is “ready to provide support to the competent authorities to assess the damage suffered by cultural and educational institutions and to identify urgent measures falling within its mandate.”

The Ukrainian authorities have communicated a new toll after the Russian strikes last night: eleven people died. In Kiev, at least five people were killed and 35 injured, said Mayor Vitali Kitschko. In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second city, four rescue workers and a municipal employee died and nine people were injured, according to Interior Minister Igor Klymenko. One person was also killed in the morning in an attack on Kherson, in southern Ukraine, said local governor Oleksandr Prokudin.

After years of blockage, Ukraine will take an important step on Monday on the road to joining the European Union, but the road remains long and arduous for this country at war before joining the 27.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, will officially open in the afternoon a first series of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, after the lifting of a Hungarian veto which has blocked the entire process since 2024.

The ministers will open a first group of negotiating chapters, a “cluster” in Brussels language, before the other five by the summer, the European executive hopes. “I expect that we will open them by the end of July,” said European Commissioner for EU Enlargement Marta Kos on Monday.

After years of blockage, Ukraine will take an important step on Monday on the road to joining the European Union, but the road remains long and arduous for this country at war before joining the 27.

EU foreign ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, will officially open in the afternoon a first series of negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, after the lifting of a Hungarian veto which has blocked the entire process since 2024.

The ministers will open a first group of negotiating chapters, a “cluster” in Brussels language, before the other five by the summer, the European executive hopes. “I expect that we will open them by the end of July,” said European Commissioner for EU Enlargement Marta Kos on Monday.

The head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, denounced in a message on X Russia’s massive strikes last night, citing “war crimes” and also announcing new sanctions against Moscow.

The Russian army denied on Monday having targeted the Dormition Cathedral in kyiv, damaged overnight during a wave of strikes in Ukraine, assuring that the building had been hit by an American Patriot missile from the Ukrainian anti-aircraft defense.

“The complex of buildings of the Lavra of the Caves of kyiv (where the cathedral which caught fire is located, Editor’s note) was hit by a missile from an American Patriot system. One of the reasons for the poor functioning of this system could be due to the fact that Western countries supplied the kyiv regime missiles whose expiry date for use has expired,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

“Nothing justifies” an attack against a universal heritage, President Emmanuel Macron denounced on Monday after the Russian attack on the Lavra cathedral of Kyiv-Pechersk, one of the high places of Ukrainian Orthodoxy listed as a UNESCO world heritage site.

“Just like the war of aggression that Russia has been waging against Ukraine for more than 4 years, nothing justifies this attack against our universal heritage,” he reacted on X.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday called on G7 leaders, meeting at a summit in France, to support Ukraine after a new wave of deadly strikes carried out by Russia which left at least nine dead and burned down a historic cathedral in kyiv.

“It is very important that there is a response from the G7 countries, which are currently meeting for their summit – and that this response is decisive and substantial: more pressure on the aggressor and more support for Ukraine’s air defense, in particular anti-ballistic capabilities,” he said. declared Mr. Zelensky.

Russia launched hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles into Ukraine overnight, in attacks that left at least nine dead and burned down a historic cathedral in kyiv, the Ukrainian Air Force said on Monday.

The air force said Moscow launched 70 missiles and 611 drones, mainly targeting the capital, adding that Ukrainian air defense units shot down 50 missiles and 582 drones.

Welcome to this live broadcast dedicated to the war in Ukraine. Follow here, throughout the day, the latest information on the conflict, which began more than 4 years ago after the invasion of Vladimir Putin’s Russian troops.