Ukraine urges UNESCO member states to use all international tools to force Russia to stop terror

Ukraine's National Commission for UNESCO has called on the organization's director-general, relevant bodies, and member states to urgently employ all available international mechanisms to force Russia to stop its terror campaign following Russian strikes on Ukraine's historical and cultural heritage sites.

According to Ukrinform, the statement was published on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

"The National Commission of Ukraine for UNESCO expresses its strong protest and categorically condemns yet another massive missile and drone attack carried out by the Russian Federation against Kyiv on the night of May 24, 2026. This deliberate act of terror targeted the historical and cultural heart of the Ukrainian capital," the ministry said.

It added that the Russian Federation is systematically waging war not only against the Ukrainian people, but also against Ukrainian culture, historical memory, and global cultural heritage.

According to the statement, Russia is deliberately attempting to erase Ukrainian identity, as evidenced by the severe destruction and damage inflicted on leading cultural, scientific, and educational institutions, including:

• National Art Museum of Ukraine;
• Ukrainian House;
• Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and its unique book collections;
• Kyiv Opera;
• Ukrainian National Tchaikovsky Academy of Music;
• the Educational and Scientific Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv;
• National Philharmonic of Ukraine;
• Yaroslav Mudryi National Library of Ukraine;
• Kyiv Small Opera.

"The destructive strike against the Chornobyl Museum was an absolute act of barbarism that crossed all boundaries of human morality. Russian terrorists destroyed priceless historical testimonies and artifacts of the world's worst technological disaster of the 20th century just one month after the museum had been modernized for the 40th anniversary of the tragedy," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry stressed the "particular cynicism" of the attack, noting that it came shortly after the UNESCO Executive Board adopted its April 2026 decision titled "40 Years of the Chornobyl Disaster: Commemoration and Lessons Learned."

"The terrorist state has once again openly demonstrated its contempt for international law, human memory, and global institutions," the statement said.

As of May 24, 2026, Russia had already destroyed or damaged 1,783 cultural heritage sites and 2,540 cultural infrastructure facilities across Ukraine, according to the ministry.

"These are not collateral losses of war – this is a deliberate, systematic state policy of the Russian Federation that bears all the hallmarks of cultural genocide against the Ukrainian people," the ministry said.

"We call on the Director-General of UNESCO, its relevant bodies, and the Organization's member states to immediately employ all available international instruments, robust mechanisms, and procedures to compel the Russian Federation to stop its terror. A state that destroys world heritage has no place in civilized international institutions. As history shows, the policy of appeasing aggressors only encourages them to commit new crimes, including crimes against culture," the ministry said.

Ukraine called on UNESCO to:

• publicly and unequivocally condemn Russia's attack on Kyiv on the night of May 24, 2026, and assess its consequences for Ukraine's cultural, educational, and scientific sectors;
• assist in recording and documenting damage to cultural and educational sites;
• strengthen international mechanisms for protecting Ukrainian cultural heritage and supporting affected institutions;
• consider increasing Russia's accountability for the systematic destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage, which shows signs of war crimes.

"Russia will be held accountable, and all war criminals – from those giving orders in the Kremlin to those carrying them out on the ground – will face severe punishment for attacking Ukrainian and global culture," the ministry said.

Read also: Russian forces damage Kyiv Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kyiv attack

Seven major cultural institutions in Kyiv were damaged during Russia's massive overnight attack on May 24. The attack also damaged the premises of the Shevchenko Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and a building of the Educational and Scientific Institute of Public Administration and Civil Service at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. A number of historic buildings and architectural landmarks in Kyiv were also damaged.