UNESCO condemns Russian attack against cultural heritage in Odesa

UNESCO on Sunday strongly condemned repeated attacks against cultural heritage, including World Heritage by the Russian troops in the Ukrainian city of Odesa, which the organisation said homes the World Heritage property – the Historic Centre of Odesa. 

UNESCO said the latest attacks had claimed the lives of at least two damaged a number of significant cultural sites, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, the first and foremost Orthodox church in Odesa founded in 1794. 

“This act of hostility comes only days after other attacks that impacted many cultural heritage sites in areas protected under the World Heritage Convention in Lviv and Odesa”, it said. 

“This outrageous destruction marks an escalation of violence against the cultural heritage of Ukraine. I strongly condemn this attack against culture, and I urge the Russian Federation to take meaningful action to comply with its obligations under international law, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the 1972 World Heritage Convention,” said Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO’s Director-General.

These attacks contradict recent statements by the authorities of Russia concerning the precautions taken to spare World Heritage sites in Ukraine including their buffer zones, UNESCO said.