Ukraine will raise Russia's threat to Ukrainian Orthodoxy at UN Security Council - Kuleba

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said that Russia is the only threat to Ukrainian Orthodoxy, adding that Ukraine will raise this issue at the UN Security Council

He wrote about this on Twitter.

Kuleba emphasized that today's Russian attack on the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa is another example of the systematic destruction of Ukrainian Orthodoxy by the Russian Federation.

"Russia is systematically destroying the Orthodox Church in Ukraine and its buildings. The latest example is today's attack on the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa. We will raise this issue at the next UN Security Council meeting on Ukraine to make it clear: Russia is the only threat to Ukrainian Orthodoxy," the statement reads.

What is known about the missile attack on Odesa 

During an air raid on the night of July 23, the Russian army attacked Odesa with at least 5 types of missiles. As of the morning, one person was killed and 22 others were injured in the attack.

The head of the Odesa Regional Military Administration, Oleh Kiper, said that the debris is still being cleared and fires are being extinguished. All relevant services are working on the ground.

Later, the Southern Military Command said that during a missile attack at night, the enemy hit Odesa region with at least 5 types of missiles of all types of basing: "Kalibr", " Oniks", Kh-22 and "Iskander-K", and also used ballistic "Iskander-M".

The Russians destroyed port infrastructure, at least 6 residential buildings, including apartment buildings. Dozens of cars were damaged, facades and roofs of many buildings in the city were damaged, and windows were smashed. Two architectural monuments were damaged.

During the attack, Russians also destroyed the Transfiguration Cathedral, the largest Orthodox church in Odesa, and the House of Scientists. In addition to significant damage to the building, Orthodox shrines were damaged: the Kasperovska Icon of the Mother of God, the patron saint of Odesa, was pulled from the rubble.

On the night of July 23, air defense units in Odesa region destroyed 9 out of 19 enemy air targets - 4 Kalibr sea-launched cruise missiles and 5 Iskander-K land-based cruise missiles.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted to the Russian shelling of Odesa and noted that the enemy would definitely be responsible for this crime. And Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on all states and organizations to "condemn this barbaric war crime."

Later, National Security and Defense Council Secretary Oleksiy Danilov said that Russia was trying to completely isolate Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. 

The President's Office also responded to the Russian missile attack on Odesa. They explained what Russia really wants by attacking historical city centers and how the world should respond to Russian crimes.

According to Metropolitan Epiphanius of Kyiv and All Ukraine, the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa is another manifestation of the satanic evil of the "Russian world."

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that the alleged cause of the destruction of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Odesa on the night of July 23 was the fall of a Ukrainian air defense missile. The Center for Countering Disinformation denied the fake.