UNESCO delegation arrives in Odesa to assess damage from Russian shelling

Oleh Kiper, the head of the Odesa regional military administration, said this in a post on the Telegram messaging app, Ukrinform reports.

"Today we met with representatives of the Organization. They arrived in Odesa with a mission to carry out a comprehensive assessment of damage to cultural and religious objects caused by Russian missile strikes from July 19 to 23," Kiper wrote.

According to him, the mission will work in Odesa for four days. UNESCO representatives will record and document the effects of the attacks. The Odesa authorities will help specialists in every possible way, he said.

"It is very important for us to convey to the whole world information about all the atrocities committed by the Russian Federation in Odesa. Let me remind you that 28 architectural monuments were damaged as a result of the latest enemy strikes," Kiper said.

On the night of July 22-23, Russian troops launched a massive attack on Odesa city and the Odesa region. The invaders fired 19 missiles of different types. The strike targeted the historic center of Odesa, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some 25 architectural monuments, including the Transfiguration Cathedral, were damaged in the attack.