ISW explained why Russia attacked the Lavra
The Russian Federation’s massive combined strike against Ukraine on the night of June 15, during which a missile struck the Assumption Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, was intended to have not only a military impact but also a significant psychological effect.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin deliberately uses such large-scale attacks to intensify pressure on Ukraine’s civilian population.
According to military analysts, the deliberate destruction of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural sites is intended to demonstrate Russia’s perceived strength while simultaneously sowing panic and fear among Ukrainians.
The occupiers are attempting to demoralize society by terrorizing peaceful cities.
“Putin is launching large-scale strikes against Kyiv in an attempt to break Ukraine’s will to fight, as well as to conceal his own weakness, particularly his inability to protect Russian territory—including the Russian capital—from deep strikes by Ukraine,” the ISW report states.
In parallel with the missile terror, the Kremlin has launched a large-scale information campaign, attempting to completely absolve itself of responsibility for the crime committed.
The Russian media is actively fabricating various versions of the strike on the Lavra, either blaming the Ukrainian side or attempting to justify the destruction of the cathedral as a “military necessity.”
In particular, the Russian Ministry of Defense cynically claimed that “confirmed reports” indicate that a Ukrainian Patriot interceptor missile struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.
This is reported in a recent report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
In Kherson, Russians attacked a bus and an ambulance; there is one fatality and several injured
As a reminder, Russia attacked the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, causing a fire.
Prior to this, Russian KABs struck the Zaporizhzhia region, resulting in injuries.
Five State Emergency Service rescuers were killed as a result of the Russian attack on Kharkiv.
