UNESCO Records 241 Historical Sites Of Ukraine Damaged Since Russian Invasion, Mostly Are Religious Sites

PHOTO via Instagram @zelenskiy_official

JAKARTA - UNESCO recorded damage to 241 historical sites in Ukraine since Russia invaded the country on February 24, 2022.

This amount includes damage to 106 religious sites, 18 museums, 86 historical buildings or objects of artistic value, 19 monuments, and 12 libraries, according to UNESCO on its official website quoted via Antara, Friday, February 24.

Damage to historic sites due to the Russian war is spread across 13 regions in Ukraine. The damaged sites were mostly located in eastern Ukraine, such as Donetsk, Kharkiv, Luhansk, and the capital city of Kyiv.

Of the 13 regions, Donetsk is the worst-affected region. UNESCO noted that there were 66 damaged historic sites and buildings.

The UN agency reported that so far none of the seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ukraine have been damaged.

UNESCO is currently conducting a preliminary assessment of the extent of the destruction of cultural heritage by verifying any information reported to various reliable sources.

UNESCO together with partners is also developing an independent coordinated data assessment mechanism in Ukraine, including analysis using satellite imagery, as contained in the provisions of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

On the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States (US) has become one of the countries that have announced assistance to protect Ukraine's cultural heritage.

The United States announced Thursday it will donate $7 million (approximately $106.58 billion) to protect cultural heritage threatened by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to a State Department statement.

"This week marks one year since Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. Russia's war aims not only to seize Ukraine's territory and usurp its sovereignty but also to erase its national and cultural identity," US State Department Spokesman Ned Price said as quoted from his office's official website.