Russia's war in Ukraine has damaged the country's heritage and cultural sites by about $2.6 billion, says UNESCO report.

The report containing data for the first year of the war is a joint assessment by the Ukrainian government, the World Bank, the European Commission and the United Nations.. UNESCO was responsible for the culture and tourism part of the report,.

“As of February 24, 2023, the total value of losses to identified assets is estimated at $2.6 billion,” the document says..

Approximately $1.7 billion of these expenditures are historic cities, buildings and sites filled with recognized cultural/social values; $650 million - tourist facilities; $143 million for movable cultural property and collections, cultural repositories, and $150 million for buildings/workshops/ateliers dedicated to the cultural and creative industries.

The report notes that the region in Ukraine most affected by the Russian war was the Kharkiv region, which suffered 30% of the total damage to cultural property..

UNESCO said that the total losses are estimated at about $15.2 billion: these are losses of income from tourism, arts, sports, entertainment, recreation, cultural education, creative and cultural industries..

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“The war has significantly affected the diversity and richness of culture and cultural heritage in Ukraine, damaging cultural infrastructure and assets, reducing livelihoods for creators, bearers and practitioners of culture, restricting access to culture and hindering the enjoyment of cultural rights,” the report says..

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay is in Kyiv. Together with First Lady Olena Zelenska and First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova, they visited the historical pearl of Ukraine - Sophia of Kyiv.

According to the Ministry of Culture, since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 1,132 cultural heritage sites have been destroyed or damaged..

In the summer, the Ukrainian Institute and USAID launched the international campaign "

As reported, the Russian Federation wants to turn Ukrainian reserves into private hunting zones: the occupation administration has established de facto control over the Askania-Nova reserve and appointed its illegitimate leadership.