Russia is learning Crimea doesn’t pay

Published June 20, 2026 5:45am ET



For more than four years now, Russian President Vladimir Putin has resorted to punishing airstrikes targeting hospitals, apartment buildings, street markets, and other civilian infrastructure in a failed effort to break the will of the Ukrainian people.

On the evening of June 14, Russia launched another massive overnight attack on Ukraine. But in a dastardly escalation, Putin added a new set of targets — some of Ukraine’s most revered religious and cultural sites. Including the gold onion-domed Pechersk monastery, which dates back to the 11th century.

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