The Ukrainian authorities denounced today that the Russian night attack on Odesa from Saturday night to Sunday – which left at least one dead and 22 injured, including four children – also caused damage to 25 architectural monuments in the historic center of the city, a UNESCO world heritage site, according to the Ukrainian authorities.
Among the buildings touched is the Cathedral of the Transfiguration, which began to be built in 1794, was destroyed by the Soviets in 1936 and began to be rebuilt in 2003.
“The Russians deliberately aimed their missiles at the historic center of Odessa, which is protected by UNESCO! Everything that was created by great architects with hard work is now being destroyed by cynical monsters!” lamented the head of the regional military administration, Oleg Kiper.
The Russian Defense Ministry assured that the attack on Odessa was directed against aquatic drones and foreign mercenaries. “All intended targets have been destroyed,” General Igor Konashenkov, Defense spokesman, reported in his daily report.
According to the Ukrainians, the Russians launched 19 missiles of five different types – four Kalibr, five Onyx, three Kh-22, five Iskander-K and two Iskander-M – of which the Ukrainian air defense managed to shoot down nine.
Following the attack on central Odessa, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for an air shield covering the entire sky over Ukraine to protect the country from Russian missiles and urged the international community not to get used to Russian "terror."
“Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral... There can be no excuse for Russian wickedness. As always, this evil will lose. And there will definitely be reprisals for Russian terrorists for Odessa. They will feel these reprisals," Zelensky wrote in a message on Telegram.
Unesco once again censored Russia for its attacks on the historic center of Odesa, a world heritage site, and warned that intentional attacks of this nature 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.
"The intentional destruction of cultural property can be considered a war crime, as recognized by the UN Security Council, of which Russia is a permanent member, in its resolution 2347 (2017)," UNESCO stressed. "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.
Meanwhile, Wagner's Russian mercenaries threaten Poland with an armed incursion from Belarus. “Maybe I shouldn't say it, but I will. The Wagnerites have begun to worry us. "We want to go to the West, give us permission." And I tell them, why do you want to go to the West. 'To go on an excursion to Warsaw, to Rzeszow,' ” Belarusian President Alexandr Lukashenko said at the start of a meeting with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin at the Constantine Palace in St Petersburg. The first meeting of him since the rebellion of the paramilitary group.
