Russian Air Strikes on Cultural Sites Underscore the Weaponization of Heritage
June 17, 2026
Antiquities Coalition Calls for Accountability Following Attacks on Ukrainian Cultural and Religious Sites
The Antiquities Coalition condemns the continued targeting of Ukraine’s cultural heritage as part of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression. The destruction and damage of cultural and religious sites not only threatens irreplaceable monuments and collections, but also undermines the Ukrainian right to culture and national identity. These attacks exemplify how cultural heritage is being exploited as a weapon of war.
Russia intentionally targeted Ukrainian cultural and religious centers in air strikes on June 15, 2026. Among those damaged are structures in the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex; the Mystetskyi Arsenal National Cultural, Art, and Museum Complex; the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Film Studio and costume collection; the Kharkiv Art Museum; and the House of Organ and Chamber Music in Dnipro.
Part of the Kyiv Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings complex, the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra is one of Ukraine’s most significant spiritual and cultural landmarks. In 2022, UNESCO added the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra to its List of World Heritage in Danger. “This would be equivalent to bombing Notre-Dame…” remarked French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot.
The intentional targeting of Ukraine’s historical and cultural landmarks is a violation of numerous international conventions, including the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, international humanitarian law, and the World Heritage Convention.
For more information, see official statements issued by UNESCO and the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). For additional documentation on this and past attacks, follow the work of organizations like НеМо: Ukrainian Heritage Monitoring Lab.
As documented by Ukrainian and international monitoring organizations, these attacks form part of a broader pattern of damage to and destruction of cultural heritage throughout Russia’s full-scale invasion. The Antiquities Coalition joins partners around the world in calling for accountability for violations of international law and for the protection of cultural heritage in times of armed conflict.
Want to learn more about our efforts to support Ukrainian partners?
Visit the Ten Most Wanted Missing Antiquities List to help find the missing Mariupol Bull Figurine, an 8,000-year-old Neolithic carving, looted during Russia’s 2022 siege of Ukraine, here.
Read how the Antiquities Coalition and Raphael Lemkin Society are partnering to help NATO counter the weaponization of cultural heritage, here.
Revisit the op-ed, “The return of looted antiquities should be part of any Ukraine peace settlement” by AC Chairman and Founder Deborah Lehr, here.