UNESCO: Crimea's Occupying Authorities Conduct Illegal Drilling In Cliff Where Swallow's Nest Castle Situated

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) states that occupying authorities in the Russia-annexed Crimea conduct illegal drilling in a cliff with the Swallow's Nest Castle situated on top of it.

The Ministry for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displace People said this in a statement with the reference to the UNESCO's report, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

"The Russian Federation has started illegal archeological excavations and engineer works, in particular, drilling in a cliff that has the national cultural property the Swallow's Nest Castle," the statement said.

In addition, from April 2017, similar works have been conducted in territory between Tsementna Slobidka street and a highway Kerch - Feodosiya, in connection with construction of new roads to the new bridge across Kerch Straight under construction.

"The works already destroyed part of the Tiritakskiy Defense Wall that the occupying authorities plan to destroy completely," the report stressed.

In general, in 2017, the Ministry of Culture of Russia issued 13 permits for archeological works in Crimea and two permits for conducting works in territory of Sevastopol.

This is flagrant violation of the 1954 Hague Convention On Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict that forbids conducting any archeological excavation works in occupied territory and any interferences with objects of cultural heritage.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, in April, the UNESCO decided to continue monitoring the situation with human rights in the Russia-annexed Crimea.

The UNESCO reported deterioration of the situation with human rights in Crimea.