UNESCO has called for greater protection for Ukraine's cultural heritage sites amid Russia's brutal, unprovoked invasion.
"We must safeguard the cultural heritage in Ukraine, as a testimony of the past but also as a catalyst for peace and cohesion for the future, which the international community has a duty to protect and preserve," UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said in a statement on March 8.
Since the start of the Russian invasion last week, UNESCO has been in constant contact with Ukrainian institutions to assess the situation and strengthen the protection of cultural heritage sites.
"The first challenge is to mark cultural heritage sites and monuments and recall their special status as protected areas under international law," Azoulay said.
With the help of satellite images, UNESCO is attempting to monitor the damage inflicted by Russia's invasion on cultural heritage sites in Ukraine.
UNESCO also confirmed its intention to support cultural workers in Ukraine.
EU culture ministers on March 7 assured Ukrainian journalists and artists of help. In a joint statement, they said they would support professionals so that they could continue to be active and maintain creative and free expression.