00:00A 1,000-year-old monastery was set ablaze in what authorities said was the heaviest Russian
00:06aerial attack on Kiev in two weeks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday inspected
00:11the damage to the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra Monastery, saying it was struck by a Russian drone.
00:16The UNESCO World Heritage Site was founded in the 11th century.
00:20France's foreign minister likened the attack to bombing Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
00:27Zelensky called the strike, quote, an attack on our history, undoubtedly.
00:34Russia denied striking the monastery, calling the allegation, quote, a crude fake.
00:39It said the site was damaged by a U.S.-made Patriot air defense missile.
00:43A source provided Reuters with a photo of what he said were Russian drone debris found near the
00:48damaged cathedral. Reuters was not able to independently verify the authenticity of the image.
00:52A grand complex with bell towers, churches, chapels, gates, and seminary buildings,
00:58the Lavra was founded by monks near the Dnipro River in 1051. The complex grew to become the main
01:04sacred site of Orthodox Christianity in Eastern Europe. It continues to draw large numbers of
01:09worshippers and tourists. Ukrainian officials said the Russian strike set fire to the roof
01:14of the Dormition Cathedral, the main cathedral of the monastery complex.
01:18As flames leapt above the religious compound, Kiev residents took shelter underground.
01:23City officials said the Russian attack killed at least five people in the capital.
01:27Four emergency service workers and a municipal worker were killed in Kharkiv.
01:31The Russian strikes come ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week.
01:34We will have a meeting with Europeans and also with President Trump. We will speak with him about
01:42how to push Putin to stop this war. Zelensky said on Sunday he had discussed with US President Donald
01:48Trump efforts to secure an end to the more than four-year conflict. In an open letter to Russian
01:53President Vladimir Putin this month, Zelensky had offered to meet for face-to-face talks.
01:58In response, Putin said publicly that he saw no reason for a meeting.
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