“UNESCO has begun a technical assessment of the damage caused by Russian mass shelling to two cultural heritage sites in Ukraine — the Odesa Astronomical Observatory and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve. This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine. Both objects are under the international protection of UNESCO. The issue of damage assessment was discussed during the meeting between the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Head of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Affairs”, — write on: ua.news
UNESCO has begun a technical assessment of the damage caused by Russian mass shelling to two cultural heritage sites in Ukraine — the Odesa Astronomical Observatory and the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve.
This was reported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
Both objects are under the international protection of UNESCO. The issue of damage assessment was discussed during a meeting between the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the head of the National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO Maryana Betsa and the head of the UNESCO Office in Ukraine Chiara Dezzi Bardeski.
“UNESCO is carrying out a technical examination and monitoring of the damage to the Odesa Astronomical Observatory, which has the status of an object under temporary enhanced protection in accordance with the Hague Convention of 1954 and the Second Protocol of 1999,” said Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi.
In addition, the assessment of the damage caused to the objects of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra National Reserve, which suffered as a result of a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv on the night of January 24, 2026, is ongoing.
“Crimes against culture remain a component of Russia’s military strategy, and documenting the damage and UNESCO’s international expertise are critically important both for the restoration of the damaged objects and for bringing the aggressor to justice,” Maryana Betsa emphasized.
According to the Ministry of Culture, since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has damaged 1,640 monuments of cultural heritage of Ukraine.
Earlier in Lviv, experts recorded damage to monuments protected by UNESCO as a result of Russian shelling.
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