I Watched Kyiv Burn Last Night (w/ Caolan Robertson)

In a harrowing episode of The Bulwark, Tim Miller speaks with journalist Caolan Robertson, who witnessed firsthand the devastating Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv’s historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra monastery—a 1,000-year-old UNESCO site and one of Eastern Christianity’s most sacred places. Robertson describes the scene at 4 a.m. as surreal and traumatic: firefighters and priests risking their lives to save sacred relics amid flames, with the gold-domed church literally burning. This assault, he argues, is not just a military strike but a deliberate act of cultural erasure and psychological warfare, exposing the grotesque hypocrisy of Russia’s self-proclaimed role as a defender of Christian values. The attack comes as Russia faces military setbacks, losing more territory in six months than in any period since 2022, prompting a desperate escalation in terror tactics. Robertson underscores the irony of Russia inviting far-right figures like Andrew Tate and Candace Owens—celebrated in Western 'America First' circles—as propaganda tools, while simultaneously destroying the very religious and cultural symbols they claim to protect. The episode reveals a war not just for land, but for the soul of civilization itself. The emotional toll on Ukrainians is palpable. Despite battlefield successes, daily life in Kyiv has become unbearable: 611 drones and 61 missiles in one night, shattered windows, constant fear.