Russia fired a barrage of missiles at several major Ukrainian cities, setting Kyiv’s historic Dormition Cathedral on fire and killing nine, while Ukraine strikes claimed three lives south of Moscow.

The wave of attacks came as news of a US-Iran deal started to open a path to peace in the Middle East war, highlighting the lack of progress toward an end to over four years of fighting in Ukraine.

Five rescue workers were killed during firefighting operations in northeast Ukraine, after Russian strikes hit the city of Kharkiv, Interior Minister Igor Klymenko said on Monday.
At least nine others were wounded, according to Klymenko and regional governor Oleg Synegubov.
The violence killed another four people in the capital as fire broke out on the grounds of the UNESCO world heritage site Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra and the roof of the Dormition Cathedral was on fire.