The Transfiguration Cathedral in the Odesa region suffered severe damage following a missile attack. According to a statement from the Ukraine Air Force, Odesa was targeted by 19 missiles of various types on Sunday, with nine of them being successfully intercepted. An image captured by Igor Tkachenko/EPA-EFE showcases the destruction caused by the attack.
July 23 (UPI) — A missile strike carried out by Russia on the city of Odessa in Ukraine resulted in the loss of a life and significant damage to a UNESCO-protected historic church named the Spaso-Preobrazhenskyi Cathedral, also known as the Transfiguration Cathedral. Established in 1794, this church holds immense historical and cultural value. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated it as a protected heritage site.
The destruction of the church has prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to vow retaliation against the responsible parties. In an official statement, President Zelensky expressed his determination to make the perpetrators face the consequences of their actions. He assured that all those affected by the terrorist attack would receive the necessary assistance and expressed gratitude towards those providing support to the affected individuals and the city of Odesa. Zelensky emphasized the need to defeat the “Russian evil” in order to restore peace.
Russia, however, has alleged that the cathedral was targeted by Ukrainian air defenses. This claim by Russia is questionable as it has a history of propagating false information throughout the duration of the war.
Inspections conducted by the BBC have concluded that the Transfiguration Cathedral was indeed hit directly by a missile, leaving significant damage to its roof and support pillars. The relentless attacks by Russian troops on Odesa have inflicted substantial harm on the church, as confirmed by UNESCO, which strongly condemned the attack on the world heritage property. This assault on the church follows a previous strike that destroyed a historic building in Lviv.
The UNESCO statement also revealed damage to several museums located within the World Heritage site in Odessa, including the Odesa Archaeological Museum, the Odesa Maritime Museum, and the Odessa Literature Museum. All of these institutions had been marked by UNESCO and local authorities with the Blue Shield, a recognized emblem of protection under the 1954 Hague Convention.
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