A Dominican monastery in Kyiv run by Polish monks was among the sites damaged during Russia’s latest massive assault on the Ukrainian capital, with one priest describing it as “the most horrific attack” since the beginning of the war.
Russia battered Kyiv and surrounding areas with hundreds of drones and missiles overnight on Sunday, including the use of a rare nuclear-capable Oreshnik hypersonic missile, killing at least four people and injuring dozens more.
The St. Thomas Aquinas Institute of Religious Sciences and the adjacent Dominican monastery in Kyiv’s Lukyanivka district—one of the areas hardest hit in the overnight assault—were among the numerous sites damaged during what Ukrainian officials described as one of the heaviest bombardments of the war.
‘One of the worst nights’
The monastery is home to six Polish monks and two Ukrainians.
“It was the strongest, most horrific attack we have experienced,” Jarosław Krawiec, head of the Dominican order in Ukraine, told Poland’s public broadcaster TVP Info.
He added: “They attacked us on the night of Pentecost. It was one of the worst nights since the beginning of the war.”
The blast shattered windows in the monastery, chapel and lecture halls of the institute, while doors were ripped from their frames.
“Fortunately, none of us was hurt,” the priest said.
‘We are continuing as usual’
Despite the damage, the monks still held Pentecost services on Sunday morning.
“We are continuing as usual,” Krawiec told TVP Info. “People here are cleaning glass from the sidewalks, restoring what they can and carrying on with life.”
The attack drew condemnation from European leaders, with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accusing Russia of “reckless nuclear brinkmanship” over the use of the Oreshnik missile, which Moscow claims is impossible to intercept because of its speed.
Kostyuk’s emotional win
Meanwhile, Ukrainian tennis star Marta Kostyuk broke down in tears after defeating Russian-born Oksana Selekhmeteva in the opening round of the French Open on Sunday, saying her family had narrowly avoided tragedy.
Kostyuk, who advanced to the second round with a 6:2, 6:3 victory over Selekhmeteva, who represents Spain, said a Russian missile had struck around 100 meters from her parents’ home earlier that morning.
“I cried for part of the morning,” Kostyuk said after the match. “I’m very happy to reach the second round, but all my thoughts and my whole heart are with Ukrainians today,” she added.