Ukraine needs nearly $9B to rebuild its cultural sites, tourism industry – AP

Ukraine will need about $9 billion over the next decade to rebuild its cultural sites and tourism industry following Russia’s invasion and war.

That’s according to the Associated Press, Ukrinform reports.

It is noted that UNESCO estimated that the country’s interlinked culture and tourism sector have lost over $19 billion in revenue during the war. The agency said the fighting has damaged 341 cultural sites across Ukraine, including in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the cities of Lviv in the west and Odesa in the south.

The agency estimated that the total cost of destruction to those cultural sites, and thousands of other “cultural assets” around Ukraine, comes to nearly $3.5 billion.

“The cathedral of Odesa is one example of a site that was gravely damaged,” Chiara Dezzi Bardeschi, who heads the UNESCO office in Ukraine, said.

UNESCO said the intentional destruction of cultural heritage sites, including religious buildings and artifacts, may amount to a war crime.

As Ukrinform earlier reported, on the night of July 23, 2023, Russian forces launched a massive attack on the city of Odesa and the Odesa region, firing 19 missiles of different types. Odesa’s UNESCO-protected historic center came under attack. As many as 25 architectural monuments were damaged, including the famous Transfiguration Cathedral.

Italy and UNESCO signed an agreement to allocate funds for the repair of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa.