The Russian occupiers damaged and destroyed more than 550 cultural monuments

As a result of Russian troops, more than 550 monuments and objects of cultural heritage were damaged or destroyed, Minister of Culture and Information Policy Oleksandr Tkachenko said, writes radiosvoboda.org.

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He pointed out that on April 18 — the International Day of Monuments and Historical Places — Ukraine celebrates the Day of Monuments of History and Culture.

"More than 550 - that's how many monuments and objects of cultural heritage were destroyed or damaged by the occupiers. The war continues, so we record new destruction every day," he said.

Tkachenko added that currently 109 monuments are under state protection, more than 930 objects of cultural heritage are on the state register. Some of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

"Cultural heritage is a key element of the identification of the Ukrainian nation and a factor of Ukraine's national security. The war became an impetus for the transformation of the understanding of the latter. That is why we raise the cultural heritage — monuments of history and culture, places of interest and traditions — to a new level of significance for everyone within the country and in the world," the minister added.

In early April, the educational, scientific and cultural organization UNESCO said that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine caused an estimated 2,6 billion US dollars in damage to the country's heritage and cultural sites.

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