Board of Deputies and Jewish Leadership Council statement of bombing of Holocaust Memorial at Babyn Yar

JOINT STATEMENT BY BOARD OF DEPUTIES OF BRITISH JEWS & JEWISH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL 

We mourn the hundreds of Ukrainians who have fallen in this senseless invasion by the Russian regime. Among these many fallen are five who perished yesterday when the Russian bombardment hit the Holocaust Memorial site at Babyn Yar, in Kyiv.

There is a reason that Ukraine’s President, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, amidst the tragedy of Ukrainians fighting and dying for their country, have all seen fit to comment on this particular attack. Babyn Yar was where the Nazis murdered Jews in the tens of thousands. Vladimir Putin falsely claimed that the Ukrainian Government are Nazis. Now his forces have bombarded a site commemorating an infamous Nazi atrocity. And five more deaths have been recorded at Babyn Yar.

We pray for the Ukrainian people, who are facing death, destruction and displacement. We hope our Government will continue to do everything it can to help Ukraine defend itself and prevent any further loss of life.