Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Heorhii Tykhyi has characterized the reaction of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to the fire at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra in Kyiv, which occurred as a result of a Russian attack overnight on Monday, as evidence of its weakness and lack of leadership.
"Absurd. The organisation tasked with protecting cultural heritage does not even know whom it protects it from. Why is it so hard to just say “Russian strike”? Sadly, under UNESCO continues to show lack of leadership, weakness, and inability to fulfill its mandate," Tykhyi wrote on X on Monday.
As previously reported, five people were killed and 35 were injured as a result of the Russian attack on Kyiv overnight on Monday. At least 26 residential buildings were damaged, the roof of the Dormition Cathedral of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra caught fire, and the occupiers also attacked the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio in Kyiv. The strike caused significant damage to the exterior and interior of the Dormition Cathedral, and neighboring historical structures also suffered, including elements of the Lavra’s fortification complex and the Ivan Kushnyk Tower.
The National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO resolutely condemned the Russian strike, which damaged the territory of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra– a UNESCO World Heritage site– and other facilities, and called for an urgent visit by UNESCO experts to document the damage and provide an objective, impartial assessment.
Vice Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada Olena Kondratiuk called on UNESCO member states to expel the Russian Federation from the organization.
In response, UNESCO issued a statement condemning "attacks on cultural property, educational institutions, students, education personnel, and media workers protected by international law."
"The damage to such institutions deprives communities of access to culture, education, and shared spaces that are essential for recovery and social cohesion," the document reads.
Prior to this, on June 6, Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrii Sybiha informed the Director-General of UNESCO about massive Russian attacks that damaged a number of important cultural institutions in Ukraine. According to the Foreign Minister, it is particularly cynical that the Russian Federation, as a member of UNESCO, continues to attack cultural heritage, demonstrating total disregard for the core principles and goals of the organization. Sybiha invited El-Enany to visit Ukraine and see the consequences of the Russian attacks firsthand.
