Russian Strikes Damage Ukrainian Cultural Sites
Russian forces struck multiple cultural and religious sites in Ukraine, including an 11th-century cathedral listed by UNESCO. Ukrainian officials described the attacks as violations of international protections for heritage locations.
New York PostRussian missile strikes hit several Ukrainian cultural and religious sites, according to reports from Ukrainian authorities. The attacks included damage to an 11th-century Orthodox cathedral recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The strikes also affected a major scientific library in Kharkiv and a neoclassical cathedral in Odessa.
Ukrainian officials stated that more than 1,700 religious and cultural heritage locations have been targeted since the start of the invasion.
The Cathedral of the Transfiguration in Odessa received significant damage during a 2023 strike. Ukrainian officials said the surrounding historic district was also leveled. The head of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine called the attacks crimes against humanity, history, and Christianity. Ukrainian statements noted that the 1954 Hague Convention protects such cultural sites during armed conflict.
