The United Nations declared that it will develop a public tracking platform within days to monitor the damage to cultural, heritage, and artistic sites in Ukraine after the Russian invasion. This will be done by using satellite photos taken before and after the attack and comparing them.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, according to the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), 207 cultural sites have been damaged, including 88 religious sites, 15 museums, 76 structures of historical or artistic significance, 18 monuments, and 10 libraries.
Christa Beckat, director of culture and emergency at UNESCO, stated at a news conference in Geneva that “our opinion is that the situation is poor and may continue to deteriorate and become worse.”
The seven World Heritage Sites in Ukraine have not yet suffered any damage.
UNESCO and the United Nations Satellite Center “Yunosat” have collaborated to monitor the damage, and the organisation sends a list of sites that are likely to be impacted by the centre based on field reports.
A small group of experts from “Yunosat” examine the discrepancies between the photographs and attempt to estimate how long the damage persisted.
Private organisations are then requested to order fake satellite images of the locations obtained prior to the conflict.
“It is a test experience to find out how we can collect this information in a useful way, and perhaps in the long run our ambition to expand the scope of the experience outside Ukraine and move it to a global level,” Beckat added.
Additionally, UNESCO collaborates with Ukrainian museums to help reduce the risk of looting, which is a regular issue during times of conflict.
UNESCO discussed with Kyiv the possibility of transporting artistic and cultural pieces outside the country throughout the war, but Beckat recognized the difficulty of the matter, as the first step was limited to transferring artistic groups to safer areas inside Ukraine..
According to the UN, since Russia’s invasion, 207 cultural sites in Ukraine have suffered damage.
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