The occupiers have completely destroyed the world heritage site of Tauric Chersonese. Kyiv asks the UN to respond to Russia's destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage.
Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets made such an appeal to the UN, according to his post on Telegram, Espreso reports.
The Human Rights Commissioner noted that Tauric Chersonese is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is a unique historical and archaeological monument of Crimea.
Lubinets emphasized that the Russian Federation launched a large-scale operation to destroy Ukrainian cultural heritage back in 2014.
"For almost 10 years, this crime was disregarded. Historical monuments disappeared without a trace, and the world kept silent," the ombudsman said.
"Now the Russians have completely destroyed the authentic monument of world significance, Tauric Chersonese! They have started illegal construction work on its ruins, actually building a new city, the so-called historical and archaeological park. The developers fenced off the archaeological remains that were on the surface with observation platforms, and several excavated sites were moved and rebuilt elsewhere. An amphitheater was built on the site of the ancient citadel, putting a strain on the original structure. Many archaeological finds were stolen by the Russian Federation and taken to Russian museums!" Lubinets added.
He emphasized that Russia must be held accountable for the destruction of cultural heritage under international law. The aggressor country must also return all the stolen items from museums in the temporarily occupied territories, the ombudsman summarized.