Two bridges connecting Russia-controlled areas of Ukraine’s Kherson region with Crimea were damaged in an overnight drone attack, according to the Russian-installed governor of Kherson, as Ukraine and Russia continued exchanging strikes amid ongoing efforts to end the war.
Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram on Monday that traffic had been suspended after the attack on the crossings linking the Russian-held part of Kherson with the annexed Crimean peninsula.
The attack comes as Crimea faces a fuel supply crisis following intensified strikes, according to reports.
Kyiv monastery damaged in major Russian attack
The bridge strikes came on the same day Ukrainian authorities reported one of the heaviest Russian air attacks on Kyiv in recent weeks.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Four people were killed and 23 injured after Russian missiles and drones struck the Ukrainian capital, according to Kyiv officials. The attack damaged residential buildings, electricity infrastructure and the historic Kyiv Pechersk Lavra monastery, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 1051.
Tymur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said the monastery was seriously damaged in a direct strike. Flames were seen rising from the site as residents sought shelter during the attack.
The strikes also disrupted power supplies, leaving around 140,000 residents without electricity, Kyiv authorities said.
Ukraine’s Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko condemned the attack, describing it as an assault on both civilians and cultural heritage.
Journalists gather in front of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Attacks reported across Ukraine and Russia
The overnight strikes affected several Ukrainian regions, with air raid warnings issued across much of the country.
In Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said five emergency service rescuers were killed and at least five others injured after a second Russian strike hit the city.
Local authorities also reported casualties in Sumy, including a child among those wounded.
Russia and Ukraine have both denied deliberately targeting civilians.
Firefighters work to extinguish a fire at the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, which was hit during Russian missile and drone strikes, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine June 15, 2026. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko
Ukraine has recently increased attacks on Russian industrial and energy facilities, aiming to reduce Moscow’s revenues and pressure it toward ending the war.
A drone attack on the Russian city of Tula, south of Moscow, killed three people and injured three others, including a one-year-old child, according to the regional governor.
Poland briefly raises air alert
Neighbouring Poland, a NATO and European Union member, scrambled fighter jets in response to a possible airspace threat during the attacks.
Poland’s armed forces later said the alert was withdrawn and that no airspace violation had been recorded.
Peace efforts continue amid renewed fighting
The latest attacks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he had spoken with U.S. President Donald Trump about efforts to end the conflict ahead of a G7 meeting in France.
Before the conversation, Zelenskiy had proposed direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin involving the United States and Europe to seek a ceasefire. Britain, Germany and France supported the idea, while Putin rejected the proposal.
The Kremlin said Trump had told Putin that ending the conflict in Ukraine was important and that he was willing to help.
