One of the holiest places of worship in Ukraine was miraculously saved from a Russian bombing as the "heavens themselves" opened to put out the fire.
About 20 fire engines responded to the blaze as Russia launched strikes throughout Ukraine which killed at least 11 people, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky, who visited the site on Monday.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to 1051, was ablaze as Avramiy, the Bishop of Boryspil and the Vicar of the cathedral woke up.
He told The Times: "When I looked out of the window, the flames engulfed the domes."
But in what he described as "God's blessing" a torrent of rain then helped to extinguish the fire.
"It was a miracle, right after the strike it started to rain. At first, the rain was quiet and calm, but later, as the fire began to spread, the rain started to pour down," he said.
Bishop Avramiy added: "The Russians wanted to destroy this cathedral and they failed because the heavens themselves helped the firefighters extinguish the flames."
Russia launched 70 missiles and 611 drones in the deadly strikes, according to the Ukrainian air force.
The Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, a monastery dating back to 1051, had its blaze extinguished thanks to a sudden torrent of rain
| REUTERSMr Zelensky, responding to the Cathedral's damage, described the attack as one of "Russia's most serious crimes against Christian culture to date".
It was not the only cultural institution struck in the bombing, with the nearby Mystetskyi Arsenal arts museum - one of Ukraine's largest cultural complexes - and the Oleksandr Dovzhenko national film studio also hit.
Ukraine's largest and oldest collection of film and theatre costumes was also destroyed in a blaze thanks to Russia's bombardment.
Tetyana Berezhna, the Culture Minister, said: "The destruction of cultural sites is an attempt to strike at the memory, history and identity of the Ukrainian people."
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Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky described the attack as one of the 'most serious crimes against Christian culture to date'
|UKRAINE PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/REUTERS
And The National Commission of Ukraine for Unesco said that by striking an "invaluable part of the cultural heritage of humanity" Russia proved it had a "complete disregard for human life, international law, and the values that unite the civilised world".
In a statement, the Ukrainian President said the attack deserved a "just response", noting it was important that "state leaders, public leaders and international organisations" do not stay silent.
Russia, meanwhile, has denied striking the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, claiming it was a US-made Patriot missile which damaged the site.
"The armed forces of the Russian Federation do not plan or carry out strikes against civilian infrastructure," Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement - after carrying out strikes against civilian infrastructure.
Fire engines continued to battle the blaze through Monday's early hours
|GETTY
Maksym Ostapenko, the director of the National Reserve Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, said several eyewitnesses saw the trajectory of the drone appeared to be a "straight, clear trajectory that aimed directly at the altar section of the cathedral".
Cyril Hovorun, a Ukrainian priest and academic based in Kyiv, noted the cathedral is also considered a part of Russian identity.
He said: "Yesterday, Sunday... the Russian church celebrated all the 'Russian saints'. This list of saints whom they celebrated included the founders of the Lavra, Saint Anthony and Theodosius.
"Within hours the Russian state struck the monastery, I don't know whether to call it irony or tragedy, it is absurd."