UNESCO puts 2 locations in war-ravaged Ukraine on its list of historic sites in danger

By BARAA ANWER
Associated Press

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — The U.N.’s World Heritage Committee has placed two major historical sites in Ukraine on its list of such sites that it considers to be in danger. The iconic St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv and the medieval center of the western city of Lviv are UNESCO World Heritage Sites central to Ukraine’s culture and history. The decision Friday has no enforcement mechanism but could help deter Russian attacks. Neither site has been directly targeted since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. And Lviv has largely been spared from the fighting. But Russia has unleashed waves of strikes on Kyiv and other cities that have hit residential areas and critical infrastructure with Iranian-made attack drones.