Russian missile strike devastates Odessa's Transfiguration Cathedral

A Russian missile attack on the night of July 22-23, 2023, severely damaged the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odessa, Ukraine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The cathedral, founded in 1794 and rebuilt between 1999 and 2003 after Soviet destruction in 1936, suffered extensive interior damage, though the main structure remains intact. Rescuers recovered the Kasperovskaya Icon of the Mother of God, considered the city's patron. The attack killed two civilians and wounded about twenty. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the strike, vowing retaliation. Italy's government offered restoration expertise. UNESCO condemned the bombing as a violation of the 1954 Hague Convention, noting damage to the Archaeological Museum, Maritime Museum, and Literature Museum in Odessa. The organization has verified damage to 270 cultural sites in Ukraine since February 24, 2022.