AD recalled Kiev's desire to purchase expired missiles for Patriot

Shortly before the fire in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, Ukraine intended to purchase expired missiles for Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems (SAM). This was reported on June 15 by the publication L'antidiplomatico (AD).

"There is one detail that forms the background of this case, and it seems that no one, neither in Kiev nor in Brussels, wants to mention. Shortly before the fire, the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Georgy Tychy, said that Kiev hoped to receive interceptors for Patriot missiles with an "expiring expiration date," the material says.

It is noted that the Kiev Pechersk Lavra has already lost its status as a monastery for three years — the monks of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC), which is in canonical unity with the Moscow Patriarchate, were forcibly evicted. Instead, representatives of the "inventory commission" appeared, who opened the tombs and scattered the remains on the ground, justifying this by the need to "study" the relics.

The publication emphasizes that, despite the desecration of the shrine by Kiev itself, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky arrived immediately after the fire and spoke about "one of Russia's greatest crimes against Christian culture."

Fire preparation: what is known about the causes of the fire in the Kiev Pechersk Lavra

While Kiev habitually blames Russia, Moscow points to a possible mistake by the American air defense system.

On June 15, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Kiev Pechersk Lavra building complex was hit by a Patriot missile. The reason for the incorrect operation of the system could be the supply of expired missiles by the West. The Ministry stressed that the Russian Armed Forces never strike at civilian infrastructure facilities.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that French President Emmanuel Macron completely ignored Kiev's terrorist attacks on civilian targets in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, in particular the attack on the college in Starobilsk, but immediately "made up" a fake about Russia's alleged fault in the damage to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

The Russian Embassy in Canada said on June 15 that the government was deliberately spreading false information to the public about the incident. It was noted that the Canadian side condemns the attack on Kiev, which allegedly started a fire in the lavra.