A Ukrainian Holocaust memorial was hit by a Russian airstrike targeting a nearby television tower on March 1, drawing international condemnation.
The Babi Yar Memorial, where nearly 34,000 Jews were slaughtered by the Nazis, was damaged after the Russians launched a missile against the nearby Kyiv TV Tower, the capital’s main television tower. At least five people died in the airstrike and five others were wounded.
BREAKING: Russian airstrike targeting central Kyiv TV tower kills five and damages nearby Babyn Yar memorial, marking the site of the worst Nazi massacre of Jews during the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/Ri1FEnUo08
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) March 1, 2022
Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky tweeted, “What is the point of saying «never again» for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating…” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba similarly tweeted, “On September 29-30, 1941, Nazis killed over 33 thousand Jews here. 80 years later, Russian Nazis strike this same land to exterminate Ukrainians. Evil and barbaric.”
To the world: what is the point of saying «never again» for 80 years, if the world stays silent when a bomb drops on the same site of Babyn Yar? At least 5 killed. History repeating…
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 1, 2022
Kyiv TV tower, which has just been hit by a Russian missile, is situated on the territory of Babyn Yar. On September 29-30, 1941, Nazis killed over 33 thousand Jews here. 80 years later, Russian Nazis strike this same land to exterminate Ukrainians. Evil and barbaric.
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) March 1, 2022
Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid condemned the strike in a statement, though he didn’t mention Russia. “We call to respect the site…We express our sorrow at the loss of human life.” Israel has offered to provide aid in fixing the damage to the site.
Lapid: We condemn the strike on the Jewish cemetary next to the memorial for the Holocaust of the Jews in Kyiv and the Jewish People in Babyn Yar. We call to respect the site…We express our sorrow at the loss of human life.
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 1, 2022
Israel's ambassador to Ukraine is in touch with the Babyn Yar memorial's management and offered help with the repairs.
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 1, 2022
Natan Sharansky, who serves as the Advisory Board Chair for the memorial site, said in a statement, “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin seeks to distort and manipulate the Holocaust to justify an illegal invasion of a sovereign democratic country is utterly abhorrent. It is symbolic that he starts attacking Kyiv by bombing the site of Babyn Yar, the biggest of Nazi massacre[s].” He added: “We must not allow the truth to – once again – become the victim of war.” Putin had claimed that he was invading Ukraine to engage in the “denazification” of the country.
Sharansky: pic.twitter.com/BJ9xn2C2oy
— Lahav Harkov (@LahavHarkov) March 1, 2022
Jewish groups also denounced the striking of the Babi Yar site.
“This is the reality of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine,” the American Jewish Committee tweeted. “Bombs are falling on the Babyn Yar Memorial, the site of one of the worst massacres of Jews during WWII. Putin follows in the steps of his Soviet predecessors in desecrating the memory of the Holocaust.”
This is the reality of Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine.
Bombs are falling on the Babyn Yar Memorial, the site of one of the worst massacres of Jews during WWII.
Putin follows in the steps of his Soviet predecessors in desecrating the memory of the Holocaust. pic.twitter.com/TpRDQPqntS
— American Jewish Committee (@AJCGlobal) March 1, 2022
The Simon Wiesenthal Center also tweeted that the “USSR built its TV station for Ukraine adjacent to the #BabiYar killing field. Now Vladimir #Putin-dispatched Russian bombs that hit tower also damaging the Shoah Memorial to the tens of thousands of Jews mass murdered there. Stop the madness!”
USSR built its TV station for Ukraine adjacent to the #BabiYar killing field. Now Vladimir #Putin-dispatched Russian bombs that hit tower also damaging the Shoah Memorial to the tens of thousands of Jews mass murdered there. Stop the madness!https://t.co/KfnppYJfHD
— SimonWiesenthalCntr (@simonwiesenthal) March 1, 2022
The European Leadership Network (ELNET) tweeted that they were “deeply concerned” about the strike, adding that it was “outrageous and unconscionable.”
ELNET is deeply concerned about reports that Russian forces bombed a Kyiv complex that includes the Babi Yar Memorial, a mass grave of 33,771 Jews who were murdered in a single horrific atrocity during the Holocaust. This is outrageous and unconscionable.#NeverAgain pic.twitter.com/gLuQfCyCWY
— ELNET (@elnetwork_eu) March 1, 2022
StandWithUs Israel Executive Director Michael Dickson tweeted, “Bloody murder once again at the site of a heinous massacre.”
Bloody murder once again at the site of a heinous massacre. https://t.co/Rkf7UsqpdI
— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) March 1, 2022
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