A Russian attack sets fire to a historic Catholic monastery in Lviv, Ukraine

Vladimir Putin's dictatorship continues its terrorist attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine, including religious temples.

Putin's anti-Catholic persecution in occupied Ukraine and a deafening silence
Russia has attacked nearly 600 Christian churches in Ukraine: what propagandists are keeping quiet about

On Tuesday, March 24, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia had carried out one of the largest drone attacks against Ukraine. The daytime airstrike (Russia typically attacks at night) was conducted using 556 drones, many of them Iranian-made Shahed drones. A large number of the drones originated in the north, specifically from the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, and targeted the Poltava, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, and Vinnytsia regions, as well as the western regions of the country, from Khmelnytskyi to Lviv. The Ukrainian Air Force shot down most of the drones, but 15 impacts were recorded nonetheless.

Maksym Kozytsky, head of the Lviv Regional Military Administration, reported that the Russian attack struck the Bernardine Monastery, located in the historic center of Lviv and listed on the International List of Cultural Properties in Need of Enhanced Protection, as well as being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Kozytsky noted that the Russian attack caused a fire that has spread to the monastery's adjacent buildings.

At 18:39 CET, Andriy Sadovy, Mayor of Lviv, has indicated that 22 people have been hospitalized as a result of the attack.

SPRAVDI has published this video showing the crash of an Iranian-made Shahed drone at the Bernardine Monastery. "While Russians spend hundreds of millions a year attempting to convince the world that they are a "Christian nation", churches remain a constant target all across Ukraine," SPRAVDI notes.

While Russians spend hundreds of millions a year attempting to convince the world that they are a "Christian nation", churches remain a constant target all across Ukraine.

Today, Russians struck the 17th-century St. Andrew’s Church, a UNESCO World Heritage site in Lviv. pic.twitter.com/POtaauB3EJ

— SPRAVDI — Stratcom Centre (@StratcomCentre) March 24, 2026

The Bernardine Monastery of Lviv is a 17th-century religious complex belonging to the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the largest of the Eastern Catholic churches in communion with Rome. Both the church and the monastery have been under the care of the Order of Saint Basil the Great since 1991. On Twitter, @Bykvu posted these images of the fire caused by the Russian attack on the religious center.

Andrii Sybiha, the Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs, has published this video of the fire caused by the Russian attack on the monastery, calling on the Director-General of UNESCO "to immediately respond to this crime in the strongest terms," ​​and adding: "Ukraine will use all available mechanisms to protect our cultural heritage and ensure accountability. Russia’s brutal violations of international law must be met with accountability. Not only the center, but also residential areas of Lviv have been struck."

Russia brutally struck the central part of Lviv, a city of exceptional cultural value and UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Damage was caused to the UNESCO World Heritage.

I urge UNESCO Director-General @UNESCO_DG to immediately respond to this crime in the strongest terms.

Ukraine… pic.twitter.com/jGAKmYdYUN

— Andrii Sybiha 🇺🇦 (@andrii_sybiha) March 24, 2026

In these four years of invasion, Russia has attacked some 600 churches in Ukraine, completely destroying 53 Ukrainian religious buildings. Furthermore, in the occupied areas of Ukraine, the invaders have waged a persecution against the Catholic Church, to such an extent that only 1 of the 64 Catholic parishes that existed in those territories remains.