Russian missile strike damaged approximately 15 cultural heritage monuments in Odesa’s historic center on 31 January, Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said.

Russian forces hit historical centre part of Odesa with ballistic missles on 31 January, injuring seven people as of 1 February, Governor Oleh Kiper said.

There is “significant damage and destruction in the UNESCO protection zone,” Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov said.

The attack damaged The Bristol Hotel, a prominent architectural landmark in the city center. According to the mayor, the full extent of destruction remains under assessment.

The blast wave affected two national heritage sites: the Philharmonic (New Exchange) building and the Vuchina House on Italian Street. Two museums also sustained damage: the Museum of Western and Eastern Art and a branch of the Literary Museum (Sicard House).

The Union of Architects of Ukraine building and Porto-Franco Bank building experienced substantial damage to stained glass windows and authentic wooden window frames.

The Philharmonic building, which has been under enhanced UNESCO protection since 2023, suffered the most architecturally significant damage. The explosion destroyed the authentic wooden frames of the main entrance, damaged stained glass windows and interior decorations.

Zelenskyy commented on the attack and said that “Norwegian diplomatic representatives were in the blast epicenter.”

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