A Ukrainian tank of the 17th tank brigade fires at the Russian positions in Chasiv Yar, the site of fierce battles with the Russian troops in the Donetsk region, Ukraine, Feb 29, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

KYIV - Ukraine's ongoing conflict with Russia has incurred losses of at least $19.6b to the country's cultural and tourism sectors, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Thursday.

Shmyhal said that 900 historical and cultural sites in Ukraine were destroyed or damaged during the conflict.

Ukraine needs $8.9b to restore cultural and tourist sites, according to Ukraine's Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal

Kyiv plans to create a special register of the destroyed cultural and tourism facilities, which will be a tool for determining the amount of compensation from Russia, he said.

According to him, Ukraine needs $8.9b to restore cultural and tourist sites. 

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Separately, Türkiye will host a three-day forum on global diplomacy from Friday with the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Gaza crisis and climate change among the topics on the agenda.

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum, now in its third edition, will bring together more than 20 heads of state and government, as well as 90 ministers and other prominent figures, to discuss how to address the challenges facing the world, Xinhua reports from Antalya.