Russian missiles damage 25 architectural monuments in Odesa, alleges Ukrainian official
Russia «deliberately aimed their missiles at the historic city center of Odesa» which is protected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), said Oleh Kiper, the head of the region's military administration. «Everything that was built with hard work by great architects is now being destroyed by cynical inhumans,» said Kiper. The largest church in the city, the Orthodox Transfiguration or Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, which was dedicated in 1809, is among the destroyed structures.
During the Soviet era, the church was demolished, but it was restored once Ukraine gained its independence. Odesa Mayor Hennadii Trukhanov announced on Sunday that some of the other cultural landmarks are the House of Scientists, also called the Palace of the Counts Tolstoy, and Zhvanetskyi Boulevard. Several historic mansions also suffered damage.
Russia has refuted claims that its attacked on civilian targets included cultural monuments or infrastructure. Oleksandr Tkachenko, the culture minister of Ukraine, demanded that UNESCO exclude Russia. Russia's «disregard for sacred sites and innocent lives is evident yet again,» Tkachenko said in a Twitter post on Sunday.
«Its missiles struck Odesa, endangering peaceful citizens and World Heritage property. Isn't it time to gather more evidence and take action to label Russia as a terrorist state and expel it from UNESCO?» European Union foreign policy chief Joesp Borrell called the destruction of the cathedral «another war crime» committed by Russia, while US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink said, «Russia's unjustifiable war against Ukraine and its people has terrible costs here,» as per CNN. At least one person was killed and 19 others were injured in
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