Russian Barrage on Civilian Targets Also Damages Kyiv's Historic Dormition Cathedral at the Lavra Monastery

Ukrainian  authorities confirm that Kyiv’s iconic Lavra Monastery was significantly damaged during a Russian drone and missile raid last night. Firefighting efforts to preserve the structure are ongoing. A massive Russian missile and drone attack hit Kyiv overnight into June 15, damaging homes and markets, and cut power to 140,000 residents. The Russians launched more than 60 missiles at civilian sites in the capital alone. In total, 70 missiles and 611 drones were used against Ukraine. While the strike wounded 13-20 people in the city, broader attacks killed at least four elsewhere, including Kharkiv rescuers.

The raid also sparked a fire at the Dormition Cathedral in the 1051-founded Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The roof of the Dormition Cathedral is reportedly ablaze. Clergy have been rescuing holy relics amid the chaos. Ukrainian leaders have called it a brutal assault on heritage and Christianity, one wonders what the world response will be. From the Horde in the 13th century to the Nazis and Bolsheviks in the 20th century, Kyiv’s sacred monasteries have suffered numerous barbaric attacks, now they are the target of Russian terrorists who have already linked crimes against cultural heritage to their attacks on Ukrainian cultural identity.

As per the famous twitter-meme:

Director-General of UNESCO, Khaled El-Enany has not issued an official, standalone quote or statement directly condemning Russia. Will he do it now?

Israel in Lebanon

 

Israeli forces have detonated the historic Shamaa Castle and the shrine of Shamoun al-Safa (St. Peter) in south Lebanon, destroying the UNESCO-protected sites alongside an airstrike on Froun. This follows local reports of multiple deaths in Haboush within the last hour.

The satle is under UNESCO protection

Excavation-Permit Flaunting Archaeologist Goes Free

Poland has released Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin who was due to be extradited to Ukraine to face charges of carrying out illegal excavations in occupied Crimea. He was arrested while travelling across Europe to give lectures on his work. Butyagin was exchanged at the Belarus–Poland border today in a "five for five" exchange. According to Russian officials, he was exchanged for two officers of Moldova’s special services the Russians had in captivity. Alongside Butyagin the wife of a Russian serviceman in Polish custody was exchanged. Other sources report that activist Andrzej Poczobut was also exchanged. As for Butyagin, he was facing charges of digging stuff out of a site without an excavation permit, and who gives a tinkers about them, eh? If we are not going to respect each others' cultural property legislation, Ukraine should suspend all permits for any current Polish excavations there. Including the controversial Volyn exhumations.

The Wheels of British "Justice" Once More Grind Slowly when Antiquities and the Establishment are Involved

"Great" Britian shows once again  what a load of tossers they are when it comes to chasing up antiquities crime (Craig Simpson 'Academic who exposed British Museum thefts 'annoyed to die before seeing justice' MSN 28/4/2026).

An expert who exposed the theft of hundreds of artefacts from the British Museum was “annoyed” to know he was dying without the case being resolved. The arts and heritage world was scandalised in 2023 when an arrest was made over items stolen from the museum’s collection and sold. There was outrage when it emerged that Dr Ittai Gradel, a Danish academic turned antiquities dealer who has died at 61 from cancer, had raised the alarm as early as 2021. The institution did not act on Dr Gradel’s warning that British Museum items were appearing on an online auction site.

Hat tip Dave Coward

 

On the US Bombing Iran

 

This young lady from TicTok has an important message for Trump, the cognitively-challenged guy who struggles to construct a coherent sentence and commits crimes against the English language daily (from 'Just human being' justhuman_being7).

@justhuman_being7 #tiktokviral #tiktokindia #tiktokpakistan #tiktok?bangladesh🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩 #tiktokmalaysia ♬ Hard News - DM Production

Cultural Property in War, 2026

 Not so long ago, American academics and heritage professionals were eager to leap in and tell Syrians and Ukrainians how to protect their own heritage by getting grant money and setting up in the USA various judgemental monitoring groups and even 'command centres'  to engage their MAGA-like fantasies about being the world policeman (such as the Virginia/Smithsonian "Cultural Heritage Monitoring Lab"). And there was Stae Department money for this. Now that the United States of America is - together with its genocidal partner Israel - (again) the aggressor in the Middle East, one wonders whether US academics will be standing up actively for the heritage of Iran as their president issues a warning to bomb civilian targets in his illegal war ( Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump Apr 04, 2026, 4:05 PM " Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out - 48 hours before all Hell will reign (sic!) down on them. Glory be to GOD! President DONALD J. TRUMP"). Or will they sit quietly by complicitly this time?

Missile Attack on Old Jerusalem

 

A missile has just struck Jerusalem’s Old City, very near to the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (all UNESCO World Heritage sites), some of the holiest sites to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. Questions are raised about whether it was launched by Iraq, or was a provocative false flag operation by US-allied Israel, but highlighhts the dangers not only to people but valuable heritage sites caused by the United States' unprovoked and illegal attack on Iran.

UNESCO, being about as useful as a wet paper bag in a supermarket as per usual, has made no response as yet to these effects of the actions of these two terrorist states out of control and threatening world peace.

An Iranian missile just struck Jerusalem’s Old City near the Western Wall, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, some of the holiest sites to Jews, Muslims, and Christians. pic.twitter.com/mvz3VPHzsE

— Noa Tishby (@noatishby) March 20, 2026

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