Russian Invasion Leaves at Least 1,255 Ukrainian Heritage Sites Damaged, Ministry Reports

As of December 2024, at least 1,255 cultural heritage sites in Ukraine have been damaged during the full-scale Russian invasion, Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture reported on January 3.

Among these, 125 are of national significance, 1,055 are of local importance, and 75 are newly identified sites.

In December alone, 33 heritage sites across the Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv regions, as well as Kyiv, sustained damage.

Overall, cultural landmarks in 18 regions and the capital have been affected since the invasion began. The highest number of damaged sites are in the:

• Kharkiv region: 324

• Kherson region: 180

• Donetsk region: 164

• Odesa region: 137

• Kyiv and Kyiv region: 83

• Chernihiv region: 65

Other affected regions include Zaporizhzhia (57), Mykolaiv (44), Dnipro (49), Lviv (60), and Sumy (33). Smaller numbers of damaged sites were reported in other regions, such as Kirovohrad (2) and Cherkasy (1).

Determining the total number of damaged heritage sites remains impossible for now, as most of Luhansk and large parts of Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson regions are still under temporary Russian occupation.

Earlier, UNESCO placed two additional Ukrainian cultural heritage sites under its enhanced protection. The Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve and the Odesa Literary Museum are now included in the International List of Cultural Properties Under Enhanced Protection by UNESCO.