Russia claims that the Pechersk Lavra monastery in Kiev was damaged by a Patriot missile, not by a Russian attack.

Russia declared that it did not strike the Lavra Pecerska monastery in Kiev during a nighttime attack, but that the damage was caused by a Patriot air defense missile, manufactured in the USA.

The monastery, included in the UNESCO World Heritage, caught fire on the night from Sunday to Monday, during an intense airstrike on the Ukrainian capital. The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the Patriot missile could have been accidentally triggered due to the supply of expired weapons by Western countries.

Moscow emphasized that its forces do not target civilian infrastructure, while Ukraine and Western nations accuse Russia of attacks on the religious site.