[ti:UN Following Damage to Ukrainian Cultural Places] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]更多听力请访问51VOA.COM [00:00.04]The United Nations is using satellites [00:03.76]to follow what Russia is doing to Ukraine's [00:08.04]historical buildings and its cultural heritage. [00:13.76]The organization said there are more than 200 structures [00:19.36]that have been damaged or destroyed [00:22.20]during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. [00:26.52]UNOSAT, the satellite agency, and UNESCO, [00:31.48]the educational, scientific and cultural agency, [00:36.72]announced the effort recently. [00:40.32]The UN agencies are completing a database of places [00:45.44]that have been damaged by comparing [00:48.48]"before and after" images from satellites. [00:54.48]These images will be used to inform experts and the public [01:00.64]about the destruction of Ukraine's cultural heritage. [01:06.12]"It's important for us to document the damage, [01:10.88]but also to make sure we have the information available [01:16.52]before the recovery," said Krista Pikkat. [01:21.44]She heads the culture and emergencies department at UNESCO. [01:28.24]Pikkat said early work began months ago. [01:33.08]"We actually realized that, this wealth of information, [01:38.00]we needed to put it on a platform [01:41.36]for our experts so that we can monitor the situation." [01:47.96]As of Wednesday, about 205 sites were listed. [01:54.72]None of Ukraine's seven UNESCO "World Heritage Sites" [02:00.48]had been affected. [02:02.08]The sites are a listing of some of the world's [02:05.68]most important cultural objects. [02:10.04]The process is like the one used in Syria [02:13.88]where the country's civil war has destroyed [02:17.20]many historic sites, monuments and artifacts. [02:22.88]UNESCO said it first follows Ukrainian culture ministry warnings [02:29.16]about damage to cultural places. [02:33.60]Then, it tries to confirm those findings [02:37.32]using social media and other sources. [02:42.64]If necessary, UNESCO calls on UNOSAT [02:47.04]to try to get satellite images. [02:51.52]Places with confirmed damage are marked with red dots [02:56.64]on a digital map and are included in a searchable database. [03:04.00]Areas like Mariupol in the south, areas around the capital Kyiv, [03:11.04]and eastern Donetsk were filled with red dots. [03:17.32]In time, cultural experts from UNESCO and other groups [03:23.08]will try to visit the area to see the damage [03:27.32]for themselves, which is not easy during a war. [03:32.80]UNESCO experts also cannot enter areas held [03:37.72]by Russian forces or Russian-supported separatists, [03:42.84]such as in Mariupol. [03:46.12]The effort is the latest by the U.N. to understand [03:51.08]the effects of the war on Ukrainian soil [03:55.68]and to document the damage on lives and livelihoods. [04:02.60]I'm Dorothy Gundy. 更多听力请访问51VOA.COM