A Russian missile struck Ukraine’s Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The strike supposedly targeted a TV tower in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, but the memorial was hit as well. There were at least five casualties in the strike, according to Zelensky.
“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 …” Zelensky tweeted.
BIDEN CONDEMNS PUTIN AND SWIPES AT TRUMP IN STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS
The attack carries symbolic weight considering Zelensky is Jewish and Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed his invasion was launched to “de-Nazify” Ukraine’s government, though there is no factual basis for the claim.
Yad Vashem, the Holocaust museum in Israel, condemned the attack in a statement on Tuesday.
“We call on the international community to take concerted measures to safeguard civilian lives as well as these historical sites because of their irreplaceable value for research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust,” it said. “Rather than being subjected to blatant violence, sacred sites like Babi Yar must be protected.”
President Joe Biden and Zelensky addressed this attack during a conversation on Tuesday, according to a readout of the call from the White House.
The attack also demonstrates Russia’s willingness to target civilians and civilian infrastructure. The Russians have taken out various buildings and hit schools indiscriminately as they attempt to overthrow the Ukrainian government, even though they’ve had less than their expected success after the first week of fighting.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said the same day that 2,000 civilians had been killed, a much larger count than the tally from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner, which said on Tuesday that 136 civilians had been killed, 13 of which were children, while another 400 had been injured.
