Photo: RBC
The reaction of UNESCO to a Russian strike on the Bernardine Monastery in Lviv has been called “a disgrace” by Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi заявил this during a briefing, criticizing the organization for failing to name Russia as the perpetrator of the attack.
“UNESCO responded — well, it’s a disgrace. If they can’t even say who carried out the strike, and instead refer to some abstract attacks by unknown forces, what is there to talk about?” he said.
Tykhyi stressed that the strike — including footage of a Russian Shahed drone hitting the monastery — was widely visible online, making the lack of attribution particularly unacceptable.
“What more is needed to say this was a Russian strike? What is the problem?” he added, calling the situation evidence of the organization’s dysfunction and inability to “call things by their proper names.”
He also argued that Ukraine’s air defense currently contributes more to protecting UNESCO World Heritage sites than the organization itself.
The criticism follows a large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine on March 24, during which missiles and drones targeted multiple cities, including Lviv. One of the strikes hit a residential building in the city center and the Bernardine Monastery, a site within the UNESCO-protected historic area.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the attack as “absolute perversity.”
In response, UNESCO expressed “deep concern” over the damage and said it was ready to provide emergency assistance, but stopped short of directly naming Russia.
