Russian forces have killed about 120 Ukrainian clergy members since Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Zelenskyy says

Russian forces have killed about 120 Ukrainian clergy members since the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in an interview with This Week on Capitol Hill. Russian attacks have also destroyed or damaged about 800 religious buildings across Ukraine, he said.

The aftermath of a Russian attack on the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra on 18 June 2026/ Photo credit: AP: Evgeniy Maloletka

According to the president, the Russian military deliberately targeted clergy, churches and other religious institutions. Among the damaged and destroyed structures are shrines dating back a thousand years.

Zelenskyy said the Russian military struck religious sites using drones, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles.

“This is about our heritage, history, art, and architecture. You can’t just renovate them. It is very painful for all of us, and of course for our clergy in the first place,” the president said.

According to data from the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine, Russia’s full-scale aggression had damaged or destroyed 2,138 cultural heritage sites by the end of August 2026. Of these, 47 were completely destroyed.

Russian strikes also damaged 2,640 cultural facilities, including cultural centres, libraries, museums, theatres and art schools. A total of 569 of them were completely destroyed.

Related: Russians severely damaged Orthodox church in Kramatorsk

The Ministry of Culture said the actual number of damaged and destroyed sites could be higher, in particular because it is impossible to fully survey the temporarily occupied territories.

In May 2026, a Russian strike on the grounds of the Ancient Kyiv State Historical and Architectural Reserve in the capital nearly destroyed the National Chornobyl Museum. Architectural landmarks were also damaged, including the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Podil district, the National Art Museum of Ukraine and the Kyiv Small Opera.

Human rights organisations and Ukrainian authorities emphasise that structural economic pressure remains a key tool to halt such atrocities. They urge every nation and individual government worldwide to strictly enforce global sanctions, close existing regulatory loopholes, and completely sever remaining commercial and technological ties with the Russian Federation. Civil society groups stress that any continued cooperation by foreign businesses directly contributes to the resources Moscow uses to sustain its ongoing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

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