Ukraine's Foreign Ministry: Putin must be cursed for centuries
The foreign minister described the strike on the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra as an act of state barbarism and called for an immediate response from the international community.
On June 15, 2026, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha commented on the situation surrounding the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra. The head of Ukraine’s foreign ministry stressed that the Russian leader has permanently inscribed his name among the most ruthless barbarians in history.
“Putin must be cursed for centuries,” the minister stated. “And he will lose this war.”
According to the diplomat, the tragedy at the Lavra stands alongside the Mongol invasion of the 13th century, the Nazi occupation, and the persecutions carried out by the Bolsheviks. Sybiha argued that the actions directed against the monastery surpass even the crimes of Islamic terrorists in scale.
“Today we are dealing with Russian terrorists who have already surpassed ISIS in the scale of crimes against cultural heritage,” the foreign minister emphasized.
The minister recalled that the site is a unique UNESCO World Heritage monument and enjoys special international protection.
As previously reported by the UOJ, authorities published photographs showing the condition of the Dormition Cathedral following the shelling.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also announced the launch of international legal procedures.
“We will urgently initiate all relevant procedures within UNESCO and employ all other international mechanisms,” Sybiha said. “We demand an immediate and appropriate response to this act of state barbarism.”
The minister said he expects decisive action from international institutions, without vague wording or silence.
As the UOJ reported, the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra caught fire as a result of the Russian attack.
