Russia denies arson of All Saint Skete monastery in Ukraine, reports more strikes

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Russian Defense Ministry denied on Tuesday the arson of the All Saint Skete monastery in Ukraine and also reported strikes carried out on Monday night in Ukraine.

Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov denied a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about the arson of the All Saints Skete monastery in Ukraine by the Russian military.

Konashenkov cited statements by citizens living close to the monastery, saying the Ukrainian military wanted to install an artillery position on the territory of the architectural monument, but was opposed by both secular and religious residents of the area, who did not allow them to turn the place into a battle zone for fear of harm to the cultural heritage.

On June 4, retreating Ukrainian troops, according to local residents, set on fire the wooden hermitage of All Saints of the Russian Land, built in 2009.

"Not only monks, but also members of the local territorial defense who came to their aid tried unsuccessfully to put out the fire at the monastery. The nationalists prevented this by opening fire to intimidate.

"Zelenskyy, accusing Russia of deliberate destruction of Ukraine's heritage and demanding on this ground to exclude Russia from the UN and UNESCO, not only once again lied to the Ukrainian people but also to the whole world community," Konashenkov said.

He insisted that the Russian Armed Forces continue a "special operation" to liberate Donbass, preventing shelling or possible damage to objects of historical and cultural heritage.

"Despite the fighting that took place in Svyatogorsk (the settlement where the monastery is located), no damage was done by Russian servicemen to historical and Orthodox monuments on the territory of (the 15th-century monastery) the Holy Dormition Svyatogorsk Lavra.

"Video footage of the current state of the cultural, historical, architectural, and Orthodox monument of the Svyatogorsk Lavra is presented to everyone's attention," he said.

- More targets hit by Russian forces

The Russian aviation on Monday night hit Ukraine's nine tanks, 12 unmanned aerial vehicles, two Grad multiple rocket launchers, a battery of field artillery, and eight multipurpose vehicles, Konashenkov told a press briefing in Moscow.

Also, the air defense systems shot down 12 unmanned aerial vehicles, while high-precision air-based missiles destroyed two command points, three firing positions of artillery batteries, and two ammunition depots, he said.

Among other targets, the Russian artillery hit a Norwegian-made self-propelled М109А3 howitzer, two US-made M777 howitzers, seven field guns and mortars, including a self-propelled artillery Pion (peony), Konashenkov added.

The Strategic Rocket Forces hit 39 control points, 47 firing positions of artillery units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, 10 armored vehicles, three Grad multiple rocket launchers, 10 special vehicles, as well as three launchers of S-300 air defense systems, the spokesman said.

Over 500 areas of concentration of manpower and military equipment were struck by different branches of troops Monday night, he added.

"In total, since the beginning of the special military operation, 190 aircraft, 129 helicopters, 1,139 unmanned aerial vehicles, 333 air defense systems, 3,443 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, 478 multiple rocket launchers, 1,807 field artillery and mortar guns, as well as 3,464 units of special military vehicles have been destroyed," Konashenkov said.