Unesco once again censored Russia for its attacks on the historic center of the Ukrainian city of Odessa, considered a world heritage site, and warned that intentional attacks of this magnitude can be considered a “war crime”.
“In the next few days we will send a mission for a first evaluation of the damage,” the institution announced. This is the second statement condemning Russia issued by the Paris-based UN body, after the one published on Friday about a bombardment of other monuments and museums in the Ukrainian port.
This time, UNESCO condemned Moscow for the damage caused in a night attack that affected 25 architectural monuments listed as World Heritage by Unesco itself. Among those protected buildings is the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, restored in 2007 and founded in 1794.
“The intentional destruction of cultural property can be considered as a war crime, as recognized by the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, in its resolution 2347 (2017),” UNESCO warned.
“These attacks contradict recent statements by the Russian authorities in which they were willing to do what is necessary to prevent attacks on world heritage sites in Ukraine,” added the agency led by French Audrey Azoulay.