Ukrainian president vows to retaliate after Russian attack; historic cathedral destroyed

After the Russian attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa last Sunday (23), President Volodymyr Zelensky again stated that Russia is committing several war crimes and that after the latter, it is willing to retaliate against the country.

The Ukrainian defense ministry claims that 19 missiles were fired by Russia and that two people were killed. The Orthodox Cathedral of the Transfiguration, historical heritage of UNESCO, was hit by some of these artifacts and suffered several serious damages. The Russians did not claim responsibility for the attacks and blamed the Ukrainian defenses.

The cathedral

The Transfiguration Cathedral was considered by the UNESCO world cultural heritage. It was built in the 19th century and after being demolished in 1936 by the former Soviet Union, it was rebuilt in 2003 by Ukrainians, and is an important symbol of devotion and worship for Orthodox Catholics in the country.

The destruction

The damage was so bad that most of the roof is missing. The walls, despite still standing, show serious damage to their support columns. Windows and their frames are defaced and according to Ukrainian sources, there was a small fire which was quickly brought under control.

Ukrainian army teams collected this Monday morning (24) remains of what they consider to be missiles launched by Russia.

Attack on Odessa and the reason for the attack

Odessa was attacked with about nineteen long-range and highly destructive missiles. According to the governor of the city, Oleh Kiper, fourteen people, including four children, were injured and are hospitalized in the city. According to Kiper, six residential buildings were hit.

The Russians attack the city regularly because it contains the main Ukrainian port, responsible for exporting products, especially grains, produced by the country.

Since the end of the grain agreement, last Monday (17), which authorized Ukraine to export its grain produced in that port through the Black Sea, Russia has increased its attacks. The agreement was in effect from July 2022 and allowed Ukrainian ships to sell their production to Europe and the rest of the world.

About sixty thousand tons of grain have been destroyed since the beginning of the attacks, affecting the entire world export chain. Ukraine is one of the largest grain producers in the world.

Feature Photo: Orthodox Catholic Transfiguration Cathedral in Ukraine destroyed. Playback/Twitter/@noticiaeguerra