An iconic Russian panorama painting over a century old has been nearly destroyed by Ukrainian military drones in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, local authorities reported today.
The museum housing “The Defense of Sevastopol (1854–1855)” by artist Franz Roubaud was struck overnight, causing severe damage to the massive artwork. The painting, which measures 115 meters in length and 14 meters in height, depicts the Russian army’s defense of Sevastopol during the Crimean War.
Completed in 1904 and moved to Sevastopol that same year, the panorama has been on display for over a century. Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev stated that more than 80 firefighters and specialized equipment were deployed to combat the fire that damaged the artwork.
Razvozhaev noted that the painting had previously been severely damaged in shelling by Nazi German forces during World War II in late June 1942. After the war, Soviet personnel rescued 86 fragments of the artwork and reconstructed it.
“The Defense of Sevastopol (1854–1855) was severely damaged in an attack by Ukrainian forces,” Razvozhaev said in a Telegram post. “Those barbarians… deliberately attacked what is dear to us, trying to destroy our very essence. Only complete degenerates would do such a thing.”
Razvozhaev condemned Ukraine’s president Vladimir Zelensky for his role in the decision that led to the destruction of Russia’s cultural heritage. He emphasized that Zelensky’s claim that “we will restore everything” contradicts the deliberate attack on the historic monument.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that over 300 Ukrainian drones were shot down across more than a dozen Russian regions overnight, while also conducting strikes against military targets in Ukraine.
