UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned Sunday’s Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa, which left one dead, 22 injured and damaged 25 UNESCO World Heritage monuments.
In a statement published Sunday, quoted by the agency EFE, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) points out that in addition to the “terrible number of civilian casualties” caused by the war, this “is another attack in an area protected by the World Heritage Convention, contrary to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict”.
One of the monuments affected by the Russian attack is the Transfiguration Cathedral, restored in 2007. Located in the center of the city, the cathedral is the main Orthodox temple in Odessa and still depends on the Moscow Patriarchate.
According to his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, António Guterres is “concerned about the threat that this war is increasingly posing to Ukraine’s culture and heritage”.
Guterres urged Russia to “immediately” halt all attacks against civilians and infrastructure, as well as attacks against protected cultural properties.
Since February 24 last year, UNESCO has recorded damage to 270 cultural sites in Ukraine, including 116 religious sites.
Already today, UNESCO condemned the “brutal attacks of Russian troops”, which hit several places in the center of Odessa, “in strong terms”.
“These appalling devastations mark a new escalation of violence against Ukraine’s cultural heritage,” denounced the director-general of the UN agency for culture, education and science, Audrey Azoulay.
Russian forces launched long-range missiles on land and sea early on Sunday, information confirmed by Kiev, which estimates 19 missiles have been launched against the city, the scene of one of the largest bombings this week since the start of the war.
According to the most recent assessment by the Ukrainian authorities, four minors were among the 22 injured.
In addition to the monuments, civil infrastructure, apartment buildings and cars were also affected.
Odessa has been the target of heavy attacks since Russia abandoned its Black Sea initiative on Monday, which ensured safe navigation, and after Kiev attacked the Crimean bridge for a second time.
The information released by the two sides about the course of the war cannot immediately be independently verified.
Russia invaded Ukraine, claiming to “demilitarize and denazify” the neighboring country, according to goals announced by Putin on the day of the operation’s launch, February 24, 2022.
The conflict plunged Europe into what is considered the most serious security crisis since World War II (1939-1945).
The number of civilian and military casualties is unknown, but several sources, including the UN, have admitted it will be high.
Source: DN
