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Italy to cooperate with UNESCO in rebuilding Odesa, cathedral damaged by Russian attacks

by Nate Ostiller and The Kyiv Independent news desk April 25, 2024 11:34 AM 1 min read

Odesa's Transfiguration Cathedral, which was damaged in a Russian missile strike on the city overnight on July 23, 2023. (Oleksandr Gimanov / AFP via Getty Images)

This audio is created with AI assistance

Italy will sign an agreement with Ukraine and the U.N.'s cultural agency UNESCO to help rebuild Odesa and its famed Transfiguration Cathedral which was damaged by Russian strikes, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on April 24.

The historic cathedral was partially destroyed by Russian missile strikes on the city in July 2023, which also killed one person and injured at least 18 others.

The Italian Embassy in Ukraine said in February that it would allocate 500,000 euros (~$536,000) to help repair the roof of the damaged cathedral.

"On May 15 we will sign off on a deal with Kyiv and UNESCO here in Rome for the reconstruction of Odesa and its cathedral," Tajani told the Italian parliament.

According to UNESCO, Ukraine has lost over $19 billion in tourism revenue as a result of Russia's full-scale war.

The agency said in February that Ukraine will require $9 billion over a period of 10 years for the recovery of its cultural and tourism sectors.

Authors: Nate Ostiller, The Kyiv Independent news desk

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