Odesa National Fine Arts Museum was damaged by the Russian missile attack

At night on November 6, Russian forces targeted Odesa with “Oniks” i “Iskander-M” missiles. Due to an enemy attack, two dozen buildings were damaged, including the Odesa National Fine Arts Museum, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Another Russian terror act against Ukrainian cultural heritage was committed on the eve of the museum’s 124th birthday. Seven exhibitions featuring works by contemporary artists were affected. The walls of the architectural monument were also defaced, with some windows and glass broken. Temporarily, all events at the museum have been canceled.

The building of the Odesa Fine Arts Museum was erected between 1842 and 1828; however, the project’s author remains unknown. When the construction was completed, Francesco Boffo, a renowned architect in Odesa, certified the building. The museum was opened to the public on November 6, 1899.

As a result of the Russian airstrike, multi-storey residential buildings, commercial facilities, and cars were damaged in the city. Additionally, local private enterprise warehouses suffered destruction. 

According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, 8 civilians were injured, with 5 of them hospitalized due to shrapnel wounds. At the time of the Russian attack, there were no people on the territory of the museum.

Under the procedural guidance of the Odesa Regional Prosecutor’s Office, a pre-trial investigation has been initiated on the fact of violation of the laws and customs of war (Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Furthermore, on the night of November 6, Russian forces carried out another drone attack on the port infrastructure of Odesa. Ukrainian defenders successfully destroyed 15 Iranian-made Shahed-136/131 UAVs used by Russia. The enemy attack resulted in damage to warehouse facilities, unloading equipment, and vehicles carrying grain.