The Russian Defense Ministry on Saturday said Ukrainian nationalists set fire to a wooden monastery as they retreated from Svyatogorsk.
“Ukrainian nationalists on June 4 set fire to a wooden monastery of the Svyatogorsk Dormition Laura as Ukraine’s 79th air assault brigade retreated from the town of Svyatogorsk of the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the ministry said in a statement.
Completing the arson, the ministry said, the Ukrainian nationalists sped away in the southern direction toward Ukrainian-controlled settlement of Sidorovo.
Credit: TASS
Zelensky Accused Russia of Destroying the Monastery
Quote from Zelenskyy: “The occupiers know exactly what object is being shelled. They know that there are no military targets on the territory of the Sviatohirsk Lavra. They know that there are about 300 civilians hiding from hostilities, including 60 children. But still the Russian army is shelling the Lavra like the whole of Donbas, like any other territory and any other object of Ukraine that can be reached, they don’t care what they turn into ruins.
On 31 May, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine appealed to UNESCO to deprive Russia of its membership of the organisation. Ukrainian diplomacy is consistently working on this. No country other than Russia has destroyed so many monuments, cultural and social sites in Europe since World War II.
Every church burned by Russia in Ukraine, every school blown up, every destroyed memorial proves that Russia has no place in UNESCO. What can we talk about with a barbarian state, with a terrorist state? About which artillery shells are better for destroying historical heritage?
We expect a logical and fair response from the UN and UNESCO. It is the United Nations, and its Statute does not assume uniting with terrorists. Russia’s isolation must be complete, it must be held accountable for its crimes.”
Credit: Yahoo News