Russia blames Ukrainian air defense for Kyiv Pechersk Lavra damage

AKIPRESS.COM – Moscow rejects any accusations connecting it to the strike on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, stated Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s Acting Permanent Representative to the UN, while dismissing circulating video footage of drone debris as fake.

Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine, Evstigneeva claimed that a close examination reveals the showcased drone fragments, which feature a rusted engine, resemble pre-staged props rather than genuine drone wreckage.

The Russian diplomat said videos by eyewitnesses show a completely different picture. She argued that the historic monastery complex was actually damaged by Ukrainian air defense systems attempting to intercept a Russian “Zircon” hypersonic missile.

The statements follow a June 15 announcement by Ukrainian authorities that the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra had been struck by a drone during a massive Russian assault on defense industry sites in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Dnipro.

The Russian Ministry of Defense later supported this denial by claiming the monastery complex was hit by an American-made Patriot missile used by Ukrainian forces for missile defense.