On Wednesday, UNESCO added the old town of Odessa to the list of endangered world heritage sites, which means, among other things, better access to technical and financial support. "Odessa, a free city, a cosmopolitan city with a famous port that has shaped films, literature and the arts, is now under the increased protection of the international community," said UNESCO Secretary-General Audrey Azoulay.

Russia had tried in vain to prevent the Black Sea city from being included in the list. The Russian representative argued, among other things, that the application for admission was copied from Wikipedia. In addition, Ukraine itself destroyed buildings in Odessa. The city has been bombed several times since the start of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, but has largely survived.