On the night of January 23–24, 2026, as a result of a Russian terrorist strike on the city of Kyiv, the National Preserve “Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra”—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—sustained damage.

This is not an isolated incident, but a systemic consequence of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. Russian aggression is accompanied by deliberate strikes, as well as by the explosive and vibrational shockwaves they generate, which pose a real and ongoing threat to both above-ground and underground monuments, creating risks of their irreversible loss. More than 700 sacred sites in Ukraine have already been damaged by missile and drone attacks, responsibility for which lies with the armed forces of the Russian Federation.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is one of the key spiritual centers of Christianity and the largest center of the Christianization of Eastern Europe and Northern Eurasia since the 11th century. In 2026, the Lavra simultaneously marks 975 years since its first written mention and 100 years since its territory was declared a historical and cultural preserve. It was precisely in this year that the Lavra suffered military damage—for the first time since World War II. These actions constitute a gross and systematic violation of international humanitarian law, including the 1954 Hague Convention, its Second Protocol (1999), as well as the fundamental principles governing the protection of UNESCO World Heritage properties.

It should be noted that severe consequences for Ukraine’s cultural heritage are caused not only by direct shelling, but also by the destruction of civilian infrastructure. The lack of heating and lighting and, as a result, the absence of proper conditions for protection and preservation threaten—alongside human lives—shrines, relics, and unique sacred objects.

The Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra preserves one of the richest collections of sacred heritage in Europe—tens of thousands of items, a significant portion of which are of unique value to Ukraine and to the world. The collection includes museum objects that hold spiritual and cultural significance for all Abrahamic religions.

Barbaric attacks on the cultural and religious heritage of Ukraine and the world are attacks on identity, historical memory, and freedom of conscience, and impunity in this sphere undermines the entire international system for the protection of cultural heritage.

We call upon UNESCO, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Union, and all international partners to take comprehensive measures to ensure the effective protection of Ukraine’s—and the world’s—cultural and religious heritage, to condemn and hold the Russian Federation accountable for its ongoing acts of vandalism and cynical violations of international law, religious freedom, and other fundamental human rights.

Kyiv, 2 February 2026