Volodymyr Zelensky visited Thursday, July 28 during a trip to Odessa, a major Black Sea port targeted several times by Russia, the Transfiguration Cathedral, damaged by a recent Russian bombardment.
Ukrainian President “inspected the destruction in the Transfiguration Cathedral caused by the recent massive Russian bombings on civilian infrastructure and the historic center of Odessa”announced the presidency in a press release. “The Head of State has been informed of the extent of the destruction in the church and its current state”as well as opportunities for reconstruction, she added.
Again destroyed by the Russians
The largest Orthodox cathedral in Odessa, whose historic center was listed earlier this year by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the building was damaged on Sunday during a wave of bombardments by Russian forces. According to the presidency, “the altar was completely destroyed and the supporting structure of the building was damaged”.
Founded over 200 years ago and destroyed by the Soviets in 1936, the Cathedral of the Transfiguration was rebuilt in the early 2000s thanks to donations. It was consecrated in 2010 by the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, Kirill.
The building is part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church attached to the Moscow Patriarchate, a branch that severed its ties with Russia after the February 2022 invasion. The Kremlin denied having targeted this building, ensuring that the destruction took place. caused by Ukrainian anti-aircraft missiles fired to intercept Russian rockets falling on the city.