Ukraine fears cultural sites marked with Unesco 'shield' will be destroyed soon

The Bohdan Khmelnytsky Monument and Saint Sophia Cathedral at sunrise in Kyiv, Ukraine. Photo: Bloomberg

With Russian forces pushing deeper into their country, Ukrainians are scrambling to safeguard a rich cultural history that experts warn could be deliberately targeted in a bid to force Kyiv into submission.

Museums have rushed to remove collections to safer storage, and in many churches stained-glass windows have been boarded up or altars removed entirely.