MOSCOW, July 19. /TASS/. UNESCO is aware about destruction of cultural heritage sites, but the organization turns a blind eye towards it, Russian Permanent Representative to the organization Alexander Kuznetsov said on Russian TV Tuesday.
"I’m not even mentioning the barbaric campaigns on dismantling monuments to our writers and poets in Ukraine. In April and May alone, we registered eight instances of dismantling of monuments, the Maxim Gorky museum has been shut down. Is UNESCO aware of that? Of course, it is, and it remains silent," he said.
Kuznetsov pointed out that the Russian mission constantly informs the UNESCO secretariat and delegations of the member states about shelling of Donbass civilian infrastructure. According to the envoy, it took 13 pages to list the shellings of educations and cultural objects in June 2022 alone.
Speaking about restoration of cultural memorials, he noted that UNESCO only works on restoration of sites included in the world heritage sites; however, none of the seven sites in Ukraine were damaged during the special military operation in Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, certain political preferences are at play here, although the UNESCO Secretariat should have none; the Organization’s charter states it clearly that the international officials must display an unbiased, neutral position. […] The politically motivated bias shows itself towards Donbass as well," Kuznetsov added.