Ukraine gives its troops a handbook on protecting cultural property

Ukraine’s military has published a handbook on the “protection of cultural values in the event of armed conflict,” posted on June 23 on the website of the Na Zviazku military organization. Developed with two experts from the Regional Center for Human Rights, the guide summarizes soldiers’ obligations under international humanitarian law, including the 1954 Hague Convention, and provides procedures for identifying, reporting, and documenting attacks on heritage as well as packing cultural treasures for evacuation. Co-author Andrii Lutsyk said the handbook was prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion and designed for officers who lack time for lengthy theoretical documents, with illustrations intended to build an “emotional connection” to heritage. The handbook includes examples of objects and sites affected by the war, including ceramics taken during illegal excavations at Panticapaeum in occupied Crimea; on June 29, Tass reported that Hermitage archaeologist Alexander Butyagin said the museum was suspending work there “until the situation improves.”

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