The symbolic mark of 100 Ukrainian heritage sites damaged or completely destroyed by the Russian military offensive is about to be surpassed, the director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center warned in an interview with AFP on Wednesday (13th).

Emphasizing that Ukraine and Russia, as signatories of the 1954 Hague Convention, are obliged to protect cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict, Cameroonian Lazare Eloundou Assomo reminds that “the deliberate destruction of places marked with the blue emblem” of the convention may constitute a crime. considered a war crime.

Q: What balance can be made on April 13?

A: “On Thursday or Friday, the symbolic barrier of 100 damaged or completely destroyed heritage sites will be overcome. This morning, 98 sites or monuments were registered in eight regions of the country.

Among these places are historical monuments, some dating back to the 11th-12th century, and some dating from Soviet-era architecture to the early 20th century.

There are also churches, cathedrals – with unique liturgical objects – theaters – as in Mariupol – libraries and archive buildings. All of them are monuments built for the glory of Ukrainian history.

The balance could rise even more as there are cities that are starting to become accessible and the damage is much more serious than previously thought. There are other places where conflicts will intensify or intensify in the coming days. We are very worried. A dramatic, whole story, a whole identity, affected by these destructions.

“Some of these places and monuments will take time to rebuild, and some will probably never.”

Q: The war continues and some areas are inaccessible. How are place counts done?

A: “We had news from the Ukrainian authorities, we went through with the information we got from heritage professionals and the local press.

We also have a connection with the United Nations Satellite Center Unitar Unosat, which allows us to take pictures.

By transmitting all this information, we confirm the deterioration of the sites in question. However, the best damage control is undoubtedly on the ground.

Seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites have not been damaged so far, according to the information we have.”

Q: What measures were taken to prevent destruction and bombing?

A: “We are in close contact with Ukrainian professionals who take risks every day to preserve their history and heritage. We provide technical advice and adequate equipment to prevent fires and prevent bombings.

Art smuggling can occur in a war situation, so UNESCO has asked countries, especially border countries, to be very wary of the possible presence of cultural objects from Ukraine.

We are working with Interpol and our partners to prevent this.

On the other hand, both Ukraine and Russia signed the 1954 Hague Convention and have an obligation to protect cultural heritage in the event of armed conflict.

This convention stipulates that in the event of hostilities, buildings marked with the emblem (blue shield) of the 1954 convention cannot be deliberate targets or secondary casualties of combat or bombing.

It is a violation of international law and can be considered a war crime. Therefore, we encourage and help the Ukrainian authorities to put this sign. In fact, we’ve already started doing that in Kiev.”