Paris, 16 September 2023 (dpa/MIA) - UNESCO added three historical sites in the wartorn cities of Kiev and Lviv to its List of World Heritage in Danger on Friday, as a result of Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

The Ukrainian capital's impressive Saint Sophia Cathedral and its renowned museum Pechersk Lavra were listed as endangered, as well as the old historic town of Lviv.

The sites "of outstanding universal value" have been under permanent threat since the full-scale invasion began early last year, the UN cultural organization's World Heritage Committee said at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

"The international community must not look the other way when our common human heritage is under attack," said Maria Böhmer, president of the German UNESCO Commission.

The war also poses the risk of Ukraine's cultural treasures being plundered, Böhmer added. "The international community must work closely together to put a stop to the illegal trade in cultural goods and hold those responsible accountable."

Both Ukrainian cities have been subjected to frequent intense missile and drone attacks since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces to invade on February 24, 2022.

Photo: MIA archive