Ukraine has said Russian strikes have destroyed 12 million books shortly before pupils began their first week back at school, as Kyiv accused Moscow of deliberately attacking Ukrainian culture.
The allegation comes after strikes affecting publishers and churches, according to the material supplied. Ukrainian officials say the damage to books forms part of a wider assault on cultural life, not only on military or infrastructure targets.
The destruction of such a large number of books carries particular significance because it was reported ahead of the school year resuming in Ukraine. The timing places the losses in the context of education, publishing and access to learning materials during the continuing war.
Ukraine’s position is that Russia is intentionally targeting symbols and institutions connected with national culture. The reported strikes on publishers and churches are central to that accusation, as both are closely linked to language, identity, religion and public life.
No further details were supplied on the specific locations of the strikes, the titles or types of books destroyed, or the extent of damage to individual publishers and churches. The latest known position is that Ukraine is publicly framing the destruction as part of a deliberate campaign against its cultural institutions.
