Russia ‘deliberately’ targeted Unesco site, Zelenskyy says, as 11 confirmed dead
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also insisted the Russian attack “deliberately” targeted the Unesco-listed religious site, despite denials from Moscow.
In a post on X, he said:
“It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located.
As of now, 35 people are reported injured in Kyiv. Across the country, 53 people have been wounded, and 11 people are known to have been killed in this massive Russian attack.”
Key events
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Russian strikes expose ‘absurdity’ of claims of defending Christianity, EU’s Kallas says
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‘Window can open for diplomacy’ on Ukraine, Germany’s Merz says
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Two men found guilty over arson attacks linked to UK PM Keir Starmer
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Cathedral burns at Unesco-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra after Russian attack – video
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EU adopts new sanctions against Russian aggression on Ukraine
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Macron says he wants ‘respectful but firm’ discussion with Trump on tariff threats
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Zelenskyy says he offered to meet Putin on sidelines of G7 summit
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Russian strikes on Kyiv shows ‘little willingness’ to end conflict, Germany sas
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Russia ‘deliberately’ targeted Unesco site, Zelenskyy says, as 11 confirmed dead
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Unesco condemns Russian attack, fears ‘significant’ damage to Kyiv cathedral
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Sideline meetings taking place ahead of G7 summit later today
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Kyiv attacks ‘yet another reminder’ of Russian escalation, EU’s Costa says
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Two Shahed drones on site of cathedral strike contradict Russian claims
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Sweden wants European allies to move on Russia’s shadow fleet
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G7 summit to discuss pressure on Russia, how to bring Putin to negotiating table, EU’s von der Leyen says
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Russia claims it didn’t strike historic monastery, blames Ukraine air defence for damage
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Russian attacks on civilian targets amount to ‘war crimes’ and Moscow ‘will have to anwer for them,’ EU’s top diplomat says
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G7 summit to discuss Ukraine peace after unjustified strike on monastery, Macron says
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Morning opening: G7, EU leaders meet after deadly strikes on Kyiv, including Unesco-listed religious site
EU’s Kallas also gets asked about the situation in Lebanon under the US-Iran peace deal.
She makes it clear that it is the EU’s expectation that “Lebanon should be covered by the ceasefire.”
EU’s Kallas also hails the US-Iran deal as “a potential breakthrough,” but notes that “the toughest phase of the talks is still ahead.”
Turning to Israel, she confirms there was no consensus on imposing sanctions against Israel’s national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
On China, she calls for “necessary and urgent” move to reduce dependencies on China, as she also says that the EU has received “verified reports that the Chinese military has been training Russian military personnel to fight in Ukraine.”
Russian strikes expose ‘absurdity’ of claims of defending Christianity, EU’s Kallas says
Kallas strongly condemns Russia’s attacks on Ukraine overnight, as she says:
“We saw very heavy attacks overnight in Ukraine by Russia once again, and it made it clear that Moscow has no intention of ending this war.”
In a very pointed comment, she added:
“The strikes yet again killed civilians and damaged Kyiv’s historical cathedral, a direct assault on Ukraine’s 1000 year old heritage.
The strike also exposed the absurdity of Russia’s claims to be the defender of Christianity.”
She also goes through the summary of the latest sanctions against Russia (14:22), saying “every measure shrinks Russia’s room for manoeuvre.”
She also adds:
“Increasing the pressure also means isolating Russia internationally. As Russia bombs cathedrals, Europe should not roll out the red carpet for Russian artists and athletes that support Kremlin’s war. Culture and sport should not be a tool to whitewash aggression.”
She also welcomes plans to move ahead with Ukraine and Moldova’s accession talks with the EU.
EU foreign policy chief Kallas is now finally speaking after today’s meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers.
I will bring you the key lines here.
‘Window can open for diplomacy’ on Ukraine, Germany’s Merz says
Meanwhile, Germany’s Friedrich Merz is also offering his thoughts ahead of the G7 summit in France.
The chancellor expressed hopes that “for the first time, a window can open for diplomacy” on ending the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported.
He added that he would want to discuss this further with the US president, Donald Trump, when he arrives in Évian later.
One to watch.
Jakub Krupa
We should hear more about the EU’s new sanctions on Russia soon, as the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, is expected to give a press conference after today’s meeting of EU foreign ministers.
I am keeping an eye on that for you.
Two men found guilty over arson attacks linked to UK PM Keir Starmer
Priya Bharadia
Meanwhile, two men have been found guilty of conspiring to carry out arson attacks on property and a car connected to the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer.
Ukrainian Roman Lavrynovych, 22, and Romanian Stanislav Carpiuc, 27, were found guilty at the Old Bailey. Another Ukrainian man, Petro Pochynok, 35, was cleared of the same charge.
Lavrynovych was also convicted of damaging two properties by fire being reckless as to whether life was endangered on 11 and 12 May last year.
Mr Justice Garnham remanded the defendants into custody to be sentenced on Friday
During a months-long trial at the Old Bailey, the jury heard that the three men were offered payment to set fire to a car and two houses linked to Starmer by a mysterious Russian-speaking figure named El Money, or “Hroshi” in Ukrainian.
Cathedral burns at Unesco-listed Kyiv Pechersk Lavra after Russian attack – video
And here is more footage of the overnight attack on the Unesco-listed Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kyiv, which was described by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as “one of Russia’s most serious crimes against Christian culture to date.”
EU adopts new sanctions against Russian aggression on Ukraine
Meanwhile, the EU foreign ministers have signed on “a set of restrictive measures to combat Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, its hybrid activities and its systematic disregard for international law, including human rights.”
The new additional listings include 34 individuals and 47 entities in total, the EU said in a statement.
The measures target, among others, several manufacturers and suppliers of drones and other military equipment to the Russian armed forces, as well as individuals and entities related to the shipment and export of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia.
10 further individuals and one entity were targeted for their malicious activities against the EU.
Finally, one entity and 15 individuals were listed “for their involvement in the persecution, poisoning and death of Alexei Navalny.”
The bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, said:
“These measures strike at the heart of Russia’s military-industrial complex, its shadow fleet, and the networks that fuel Moscow’s hybrid attacks against Europe.
In parallel, work is underway on the broader 21st sanctions package.
Every measure shrinks Russia’s room for manoeuvre. And the numbers speak volumes. Western sanctions have already cost Russia an estimated €1 to 1.3 trillion. Brick by brick, we are collapsing the foundations of Russia’s war economy.”
Macron says he wants ‘respectful but firm’ discussion with Trump on tariff threats
France’s Emmanuel Macron is talking to TF1 broadcaster ahead of the G7 summit starting later this evening.
He says he wants to have a “respectful but firm discussion” with Donald Trump after the US leader threatened to slap a 100% tariff on French wine in retaliation against its digital tax regulations, AFP said.
“Tariffs don’t do anyone any good, especially tariffs between G7 countries,” Macron said.
“This digital tax, decided by Europeans, implemented by several countries, is part of our law,” he added. “It’s not the United States that decides on the Europeans’ law.”
The French president also said that European allies will “do everything” to ensure Iran imposes no tolls on the key strait of Hormuz shipping channel, including a potential joint mission in the area.
Zelenskyy says he offered to meet Putin on sidelines of G7 summit
Separately, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that he had offered to meet Vladimir Putin at a G7 summit in France this week for talks to end a four-year war, but the Russian leader was not ready to speak.
“We gave message that we are ready to meet with Putin during [the] G7, because Trump is there and Macron is there, so Europeans plus America. This is a good, I think, very good opportunity to meet all together,” Zelenskyy told reporters in English, as reported by Reuters.
“Europe and the United States were agreed and Russia demonstrated again that… they are not ready to speak,” he said.
Russian strikes on Kyiv shows ‘little willingness’ to end conflict, Germany sas
Meanwhile, Germany has joined the list of countries condemning “in the strongest possible terms” an overnight missile barrage blamed on Russia that struck Kyiv’s monastery quarter and set the Unesco-listed Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra site ablaze.
“This shows how little willingness there is on the Russian side to do anything to help de-escalate and resolve this conflict,” a government spokesperson said in Berlin, quoted by AFP.
Russia ‘deliberately’ targeted Unesco site, Zelenskyy says, as 11 confirmed dead
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy also insisted the Russian attack “deliberately” targeted the Unesco-listed religious site, despite denials from Moscow.
In a post on X, he said:
“It has been confirmed that two Russian drones deliberately targeted the part of the city where the Lavra and the Mystetskyi Arsenal are located.
As of now, 35 people are reported injured in Kyiv. Across the country, 53 people have been wounded, and 11 people are known to have been killed in this massive Russian attack.”
