Ukraine says Holocaust memorial damaged in Russian strikes near Kharkiv

A Holocaust memorial near the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv has been damaged in Russian bombardments, government officials said Saturday.

Images posted on social media showed a wrecked menorah monument at the Drobytsky Yar site.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba lashed Russia for the incident, and called for Israeli condemnation.

“Why Russia keeps attacking Holocaust memorials in Ukraine? I expect Israel to strongly condemn this barbarism,” Kuleba said.

#Russia continues to attack not only the civilian population of #Ukraine but also the places of remembrance. Russians shelled another Holocaust memorial.

This time, Russian artillery damaged the Menorah monument in Drobytsky Yar near Kharkiv. pic.twitter.com/6tPy4LDbM8

— Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center (@babynyarhmc) March 26, 2022

Ukraine’s embassy in Israel and Israel’s Ambassador to Ukraine Michael Brodsky said the damage was the result of Russian artillery shelling in the area. The United Jewish Community of Ukraine also reported on damage caused to the site, blaming Russian artillery.

Between 1941-1942, an estimated 15,000 Jews were killed and buried in mass graves at Drobytsky Yar, a ravine outside the eastern city of Kharkiv.

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center also noted the damage to Drobytsky Yar.

“Russia continues to attack not only the civilian population of Ukraine but also the places of remembrance,” it said on Twitter.

Ukraine’s embassy in Israel condemned the attack, writing that “another memorial of the Holocaust victims was destroyed by Russian barbarians in Ukraine.”

“No one should keep silent, when Russian war criminals [are] killing civilians, kids, pregnant women, shelling hospitals, memorials…. Russians are repeating the Nazis’ crimes, again and again and again!”