Russian troops fired at a Holocaust memorial outside the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine, marking the second time the country has damaged monuments commemorating victims of Nazi persecution during World War II.
The Russian military targeted the Holocaust Memorial in Drobitsky Yar on Saturday, according to the Ukrainian defense ministry, breaking parts of the monument, which was shaped like a menorah to honor Jewish people killed during the Holocaust. It is unclear whether there were any casualties.
“The Nazis have returned,” the ministry said in a tweet. “Exactly 80 years later.”
russian invaders fired on and damaged Holocaust Memorial in Drobitsky Yar on the outskirts of Kharkiv. The Nazis have returned. Exactly 80 years later.#RussianWarCrimesinUA @naftalibennett pic.twitter.com/eJS8ttepEg
— Defence of Ukraine (@DefenceU) March 26, 2022
FAMILIES OF AMERICANS HELD BY PUTIN PLEAD HELP ‘BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE’
Russian forces damaged another Holocaust memorial earlier this month in Kyiv, Ukraine, in an attack that supposedly targeted a nearby television tower. The attacks have evoked emotional responses, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is Jewish and Russian President Vladimir Putin previously justified his invasion of Ukraine as a way to “de-Nazify” the country.
Experts and government officials have repeatedly denounced Putin’s Nazi allegations as false.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The attack on the memorial reflects Putin’s willingness to target civilians and civilian infrastructure, as Russian forces have destroyed several hospitals and schools indiscriminately during its attempt to overthrow the Ukrainian government.
More than 3.7 million people have fled Ukraine amid the Russian invasion, and at least 1,035 civilians have been killed as of Friday, according to the United Nations. Another 13 million citizens are estimated to be unable to leave the country due to security risks.
