Odessa Cathedral severely damaged by Russia’s bombing of the port city

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A historic cathedral, architectural monuments and residential buildings in Odessa were severely damaged early Sunday as Russian forces continued to fire missiles at the Ukrainian city.

“Another night attack by non-humans,” Oleg Kiper, the governor of Odessa, said, adding that one person was killed and 19 were injured, including three children.

Kiev and its allies say the airstrike campaign aims to block sea grain exports from the Black Sea port city to global markets and destroy Ukrainian culture.

“Missiles against peaceful cities, against residential buildings, a cathedral. , , There can be no excuse for Russian evil, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted on Twitter.

Ukraine’s air force said it intercepted nine of the 19 missiles ever fired at the cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic city of one million people.

Photos and videos posted by Ukrainian authorities showed the Transfiguration Cathedral’s roof partially collapsed, a fire burning inside and its altar in ruins, though its dome and belfry are standing.

Ukrainian television showed local residents rushing to rescue icons and other religious artifacts from the building, which is part of a following linked to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Odessa, along with other southern port cities, has been under frequent attacks for nearly a week since Russia withdrew from a UN-brokered accord last summer that allowed grain exports during a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Previous attacks have damaged regional ports and grain stores, but Sunday’s attacks have severely affected the historic city of Odessa, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in January.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell wrote on Twitter: “The continued Russian missile terror over UNESCO-protected Odessa is another war crime perpetrated by the Kremlin, which also saw the main Orthodox cathedral – a World Heritage site – demolished.”

“Russia has already damaged hundreds of cultural sites in its attempt to destroy Ukraine,” he said.

The Transfiguration Cathedral was originally built in the early 1800s as the main church in the southern regions of Ukraine conquered by the Russian Empire and designated “New Russia” – a claim Russian President Vladimir Putin has used to justify his invasion of historically Russian lands to re-occupy it.

The original cathedral was demolished in 1936 under Soviet leader Joseph Stalin but rebuilt between 1999 and 2003 under independent Ukraine.

“There will definitely be retaliation against Russian terrorists for Odessa,” Zelensky said a day after promising that his army’s counteroffensive launched last month would soon “gain momentum”.

Ukrainian forces have so far made modest gains in liberating the Russian-held eastern and southern regions, representing about 18 percent of the territory.

Russia’s defense minister denied that any of its missiles or debris had struck the Transfiguration Cathedral, and insisted that the church was hit by “the fall of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft guided missile”.