The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said on Friday that dozens of churches, historical sites and museums have been damaged amid the fighting in Ukraine. According to Unesco, 53 cultural sites have been partially or fully damaged since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. 24. This includes 29 religious sites, 16 historic buildings, four museums and four monuments. However, it does not include the seven Ukrainian world heritage sites. UNESCO is particularly concerned about the city of Chernihiv, which has been heavily shelled but not widely reported. Ernesto Ottone, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, said: “We are very concerned about the situation at both the humanitarian and heritage levels. The heritage of humanity is in danger.” In the first days of the invasion, UNESCO implemented measures to safeguard the heritage sites in Ukraine. The Committee for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict decided to grant $500,000 in financial assistance to support emergency measures. In cooperation with the local authorities of Ukraine, UNESCO started to mark Ukraine’s heritage sites with a blue shield, which is the emblem of the 1954 Hague Convention. If a site is marked with this emblem, it means that the site is under the protection of the Convention. At the beginning of the conflict in Ukraine, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said: “We must safeguard the cultural heritage in Ukraine, as a testimony to the past but also a catalyst for peace and cohesion for the future, which the international community has the duty to protect and preserve. Azoulay also wrote to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, reminding him of Moscow’s obligations under the Convention to protect cultural sites. Lavrov reportedly responded by stating that “the Russian Federation is well aware of its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the 1954 Hague Convention.” party to the import, export or transfer of ownership of cultural property” when they had reason to believe that the objects were illegally removed from Ukraine.