Ukraine Condemns UNESCO’s “Absurd” Response to Russian Strike on Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra

Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has openly criticized UNESCO following the organization’s response to the damage by a Russian strike caused to the historic Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.

Heorhii Tykhi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, took to the social media platform X to express his disapproval of UNESCO’s statement. He labeled the organization's position as "absurd" due to its failure to explicitly identify Russia as the party responsible for the destruction.

“An organization whose mandate is to protect cultural heritage does not even know who it is protecting it from. Why is it so hard to just say ‘Russian strike’? Unfortunately, under the leadership of Director-General Khaled El-Enany, UNESCO continues to demonstrate a lack of leadership, weakness, and an inability to fulfill its mandate,” Tykhi stated.

UNESCO had previously issued a public statement condemning attacks on cultural and educational institutions protected by international law. In its message, the organization noted that such damage denies communities access to culture and education, which are essential for social recovery.

The statement concluded by expressing UNESCO’s readiness to assist authorities in assessing the damage to cultural sites.

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War in Ukraine

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In response to the series of attacks, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha announced that the country is initiating urgent meetings with the United Nations Security Council. Kyiv is also pursuing official measures through the OSCE, the Council of Europe, and UNESCO to address the ongoing destruction.

“By attacking our people, our cities, our cultural and religious heritage, Russia is demonstrating total disregard for international law and the principles for which the UN was created,” Sybiha said. He added that a strong and unified international response remains “critically important” to increasing pressure on the Kremlin and ensuring accountability for these actions.

During the overnight attack on June 15, 2026, Russian forces struck the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which triggered a fire on the roof of the Dormition Cathedral and necessitated the urgent evacuation of historic icons and other valuable liturgical items.

Simultaneously, the Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kyiv was hit twice, resulting in the complete destruction of Ukraine’s largest and oldest costume collection, which included approximately 100,000 costumes and three million individual items of profound historical significance.

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