A dedicated unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will safeguard cultural heritage during the war.

A unit for the protection of cultural heritage has been established in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Saturday, December 21.

“The Armed Forces of Ukraine once again confirm their adherence to the norms of international humanitarian law, particularly the provisions of the Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, adopted in The Hague on May 14, 1954, as well as its two protocols concerning the establishment of a specialized unit for the protection of cultural heritage,” the statement reads.

The Hague Convention of 1954 is the first international agreement focused solely on the protection of cultural property during armed conflict. Ukraine ratified the first protocol on the protection of cultural property in armed conflict in 1956 and the second protocol in 2020.

The unit for the protection of cultural heritage will operate within the structure of civil-military cooperation of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It will consist of military personnel with education and prior experience in the fields of culture, archaeology, history, and museum studies.

The unit will coordinate actions aimed at protecting, preserving, and preventing the destruction of cultural heritage sites that may be threatened due to combat operations.

“This initiative is further evidence that Ukraine adheres to the norms of international law, fulfills its obligations, and makes the most of all existing mechanisms and tools for the protection and preservation of cultural values in the context of armed conflict,” the General Staff of the Armed Forces emphasizes.

Recall that in September 2023, UNESCO added 20 cultural heritage sites from Ukraine to the International List of Cultural Properties under enhanced protection. Among them are the historic center of Lviv and several monuments in the Lviv region.