Main goal of Putin's operation is to erase Ukrainian identity - Tkachenko

"The main goal of this Putin’s operation is aimed against the identity of Ukrainians. Our identity is expressed in our heritage, in the works of our artists, so their goal to denazify us actually means to deny the Ukrainian nation’s right to exist. But our right to exist lies in our cultural heritage,” Tkachenko said during a telethon on Ukrainian TV channels, Ukrinform reports.

He also stressed that the world's cooperation with the Russians in the cultural field is currently impossible, because culture during the war cannot be apolitical.

As Ukrinform reported, the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy of Ukraine has recorded 135 episodes of Russian war crimes against cultural heritage in Ukraine.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the beginning of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Russian troops have been shelling and destroying key infrastructure facilities, conducting massive shelling of residential areas of Ukrainian cities and villages using artillery, multiple rocket launchers and ballistic missiles.