Ukrainian authorities urged to act after images surface showing three youths desecrating the Drobytsky Yar Holocaust memorial in Kharkiv. Two of them were seen giving Nazi salutes. Jewish Confederation of Ukraine demands justice, calling the act deeply offensive to the memory of Holocaust victims.
A disturbing incident at the Drobytsky Yar Holocaust memorial in Kharkiv, Ukraine, has sparked widespread condemnation after photos surfaced showing three individuals—two men and a woman—engaging in acts of desecration at the site, Ynet reported Wednesdsay.
The images, which appeared on a popular local Telegram channel, show the young adults performing Nazi salutes and trampling on a plaque that honors thousands of Jews murdered during the Holocaust.
The Jewish Confederation of Ukraine swiftly responded to the incident, urging local law enforcement to identify and prosecute those involved.
“We call on police and law enforcement to bring those responsible to justice,” the organization stated.
Ukrainian authorities opened a criminal case in the wake of the incident, JPost reported, citing Ukrainian media.
The case has been registered under Part 1 of Article 436-1 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code, which prohibits the production, distribution, and promotion of Nazi and communist symbols, as well as propaganda of totalitarian regimes. The article carries a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment.
Drobytsky Yar holds historical significance as a site where Nazi forces executed over 17,000 Jews from Kharkiv and its surroundings during World War II.
Prior to the German occupation, Kharkiv was home to approximately 135,000 Jews. As the Nazis advanced, many residents managed to flee, but those who remained were systematically rounded up and murdered—often in daily executions numbering in the hundreds. By February 1942, the local ghetto had been entirely emptied through mass killings.
The memorial has faced threats in recent years. In March 2022, shortly after the start of the Russian invasion, Ukraine said that the memorial was damaged in a Russian air strike.
Russia’s Ambassador to Israel rejected those reports as fake news.
