Lubinetz called on UNESCO and the UN to respond to the damage to St. Sophia Cathedral due to the Russian attack
Kyiv • UNN
As a result of the Russian attack, the cornice of St. Sophia Cathedral was damaged. Lubinetz called on UNESCO and the UN to assess the crime. Since the beginning of the invasion, 645 religious objects have been damaged.
The Ombudsman of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, called on UNESCO, the UN and all international partners to give a clear assessment of the damage to St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv due to the Russian attack, and to strengthen the monitoring of the state of cultural and spiritual heritage sites of Ukraine, UNN reports.
Details
Lubinets noted in Telegram that on June 10, as a result of another attack by Russian troops on Kyiv, the cornice of the central apse of the eastern facade of St. Sophia Cathedral, an architectural monument of the 11th century, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, was damaged.
As the Ombudsman of Ukraine, I call on UNESCO, the UN and all international partners to give a clear assessment of these crimes and to strengthen the monitoring of the state of cultural and spiritual heritage sites of Ukraine. I emphasize that our institution will continue to record such cases and transfer materials to the relevant international structures for legal assessment and further actions
In addition, Lubinets said that as of June 2025, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 645 religious sites have been damaged or destroyed, of which 53 have been completely destroyed. Sanctuaries of Orthodox, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Catholic communities and other religious denominations were affected.
In addition to systematic shelling, the occupiers regularly use religious buildings as military facilities - for shelter, storage of ammunition or personnel. This is a gross violation of international humanitarian law
The Ombudsman stressed that such actions may be qualified as war crimes subject to international investigation and prosecution.