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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO has documented the damage or total destruction of 207 cultural sites in war-torn Ukraine, BTA reports.

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The findings are based on satellite images taken before and after the Russian invasion of the country. 

The data is being collected on a specially created online platform that will initially be available only to experts and will later be open to the public, explained Christa Picat from UNESCO in Geneva.

UNESCO: More than 150 cultural sites were damaged or destroyed during the war in Ukraine

Ukraine's seven UNESCO World Heritage sites have so far not suffered damage caused by Russia's full-scale invasion eight months ago, she said.

Others were not spared, including the Mariupol Drama Theater.

Hundreds of civilians sought refuge there shortly after the war began.

On March 16, Russian bombs destroyed a large part of the building.

The footage examined by UNESCO is from the period between March 9 and May 12 of this year.

Of the 207 sites on the territory of Ukraine, 88 are religious, 15 are museums, 76 are buildings of historical or artistic significance, 18 are monuments and 10 are libraries.

UNESCO is working with the Geneva-based United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) in evaluating the images.

Once the organization receives information about damage, the center buys satellite images taken as close as possible before and after an attack.

Such photos cost between €250 and over €1,000, depending on how they were obtained.

Experts process the satellite images to show the exact destruction.

The photos are used to document the time of damage, the extent of the damage and more to help make reconstruction plans, Pickat said.

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