British intelligence believes that as long as Russia's war against Ukraine continues, Russia's military apparatus is likely to continue to damage Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage. This is stated in an intelligence report of the British Ministry of Defense, UNN reports .
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Tuesday, May 14, marked the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the UNESCO Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. On this occasion, British intelligence decided to devote special attention to this topic.
The ministry cited data from the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine, according to which, as of May 2, 2024, a total of 1,987 cultural institutions have suffered losses and damage since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The ministry estimates that as of May 6, 2024, 1,062 cultural heritage sites have been destroyed or damaged since the beginning of the Russian invasion, and UNESCO has separately confirmed the damage to 129 religious sites as of April 10.
In mid-February 2024, UNESCO estimated the damage caused by Russia to Ukraine's cultural heritage at $3.5 billion, which would take 10 years and $9 billion to restore.
As the war continues, the Russian military apparatus is likely to continue to damage Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage,
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