Ukraine‘s Cultural Heritage Under Siege: Over 1,200 Sites Damaged in 2024
In a grim report, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture and Information Policy reveals that a staggering 1,255 cultural heritage sites have been damaged or destroyed due to Russian aggression as of December 2024. The report paints a devastating picture of Ukraine’s cultural landscape, with over 30 sites targeted in just one month.
December’s toll includes damaged landmarks in Zaporižžja, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. The ministry notes that the true extent of the damage may be even higher, as parts of Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson regions remain temporarily occupied.
‘Estimating the exact number of affected cultural heritage sites is challenging due to the ongoing occupation,’ the ministry said.
The first casualties of the war were recorded on January 1, 2024, when several iconic sites in Kyiv’s city center were targeted.
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