On the night of June 10, another massive Russian shelling of Kyiv damaged St. Sophia Cathedral, a unique 11th-century monument that is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Kyiv: St. Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.” The blast wave damaged the plastered cornice of the central apse of the eastern facade of St. Sophia Cathedral.

St. Sophia Cathedral was built by the Grand Duke of Kyiv Yaroslav Volodymyrovych in honor of the victory of Rus over the enemy. It is symbolic that today Kyiv, like a thousand years ago, is subject to enemy attacks. We are convinced that today, like then, the invasion of the barbarians will be repelled. Russian terror and aggression will be defeated, and St. Sophia, which has survived many attempts at destruction over ten centuries, will continue to stand in the capital of independent and free Ukraine.

Since 2023 the site has been on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to Russian attacks. The cathedral is also under enhanced protection under the Second Protocol to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly condemns the Russian terror, which threatens not only civilians, but also unique historical monuments with a thousand-year history, which are the cultural heritage of global significance. This is a continuation of Moscow’s centuries-old imperial policy aimed at destroying our national identity and Ukraine's contribution to the world history and culture.

We remind that Russia is a party to the Hague Convention of 1954 for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the Convention of 1972 Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which it grossly violates.

We also recall that, according to UN Security Council Resolution 2347 (2017), attacks on cultural sites are war crimes under international law, and those who committed these crimes must be held accountable.

The destruction of historical monuments is a direct violation of international humanitarian law. Those responsible must be held accountable, and the aggressor state must be deprived of its right to vote in international fora, in particular the UN and UNESCO, as it systematically violates their fundamental principles.

We call on UNESCO and the international community to strengthen pressure on the aggressor, who does not hesitate to commit crimes against the cultural heritage of humanity, and to support our state in protecting its cultural values and sovereignty.