UNESCO: Nearly 70 churches destroyed in Ukraine as a result of war

On 23 June 2022, UNESCO published an updated assessment on the damage caused to cultural heritage in Ukraine since 24 February 2022, when the Russian offensive began. As a result of the hostilities, 152 cultural sites have been destroyed, reports the UNESCO official website.

Three-quarters of the damaged sites are in three regions: the Donetsk region, where the fighting is still particularly intense - with 45 damaged cultural sites - the Kharkiv region – with 40 damaged sites - and the Kyiv region – with 26 damaged sites.

Out of the total number of damaged buildings, 70 are religious buildings. It should be noted that most of them are temples of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

"Cultural heritage, in all its forms, should not be targeted under any circumstances. I reiterate my call for the respect of international humanitarian law, in particular the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict," UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in her comment.

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