In August, Russia launched a series of intense aerial attacks in Ukraine, sending thousands of drones toward Kyiv and southern cities like Mykolaiv and Odesa. Odesa reported that six UNESCO-protected sites, including the 19th-century Alexandru Sturdza House, were damaged. Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture said that 148 cultural heritage sites were destroyed or damaged in the past month alone. Ukrainian activists have filed complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the destruction of cultural sites, but no indictments have been issued. Bijan Rouhani, a researcher specializing in endangered archaeology, explains that while international laws exist, they are rarely enforced due to jurisdictional and political challenges. He notes that no state actor has yet been tried for such offenses, and without strong political will, the situation is unlikely to change. The conflict in Ukraine is not an isolated case of cultural destruction. In Gaza, the Great Omari Mosque, a symbol of the city's identity, was nearly destroyed in an Israeli strike in 2023. The Israeli military stated the target was Hamas. Local residents, like Tareq Abu Dayyeh, a craftsman in Gaza, express deep sorrow over the loss of cultural landmarks. Meanwhile, the war has also devastated infrastructure, with an estimated 200,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. In Iran, more than 100 cultural sites, including UNESCO-listed locations like Golestan Palace in Tehran and Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, were damaged during a February aerial conflict involving the U.S. and Israel. In Sudan, the ongoing civil war threatens the Meroe Pyramids, one of the ancient wonders of the world, as UNESCO warns that preservation efforts have been halted, leaving the site vulnerable to erosion. The protection of cultural heritage during war has been a concern for decades. The first international treaty dedicated to this issue was adopted in The Hague in 1954, aiming to safeguard monuments, buildings, and works of art. A 1999 protocol further emphasized that important sites must not be targeted unless absolutely necessary. The ICC, established in 2002, was also given the responsibility of holding individuals accountable for attacks on cultural sites, labeling them as war crimes. However, only one case has been successfully prosecuted so far: a jihadist leader in Mali was sentenced to nine years for destroying historical sites in Timbuktu. Rouhani argues that without political support and enforcement, these legal frameworks remain largely symbolic. In 2022, a museum dedicated to the 18th-century Ukrainian philosopher Hryhoriy Skovoroda was destroyed by Russian shelling, an act that shocked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He called such attacks against cultural sites unthinkable, even for terrorists. While much of the museum's collection had been moved to safety, the building was set on fire, and a caretaker was injured. Former U.S. President Joe Biden condemned Russia’s actions as an attempt to erase Ukraine’s cultural identity. In response, organizations like the Aliph Foundation and Blue Shield International have worked to protect cultural heritage, helping to relocate artifacts and train local teams. Despite these efforts, the lack of legal consequences for cultural destruction remains a major challenge. As Rouhani points out, the key to change lies not in harsher punishments, but in the willingness of states to hold individuals accountable, regardless of their political alliances.