The Avenue of the Righteous in Babi Yar was damaged as a result of the Russian terrorist attack on Kyiv on July 31, 2025

Hundreds of drones, fire in the night and mourning across Kyiv — Russia is once again attacking not only people but memory itself, damaging the Alley of the Righteous Among the Nations in Babyn Yar.
The United Jewish Community of Ukraine reported on the evening of July 31, 2025:
"One of the affected sites was the Alley of the Righteous in Babyn Yar, a memorial complex included in the UNESCO list as a cultural asset under enhanced protection.
This is already the third strike on Babyn Yar’s territory since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
The first shelling on March 1, 2022 took the lives of five civilians, including a child, and sparked international outrage.
Babyn Yar, a symbol of Holocaust remembrance, embodies the lessons of history and humanity.
The strike on the Alley of the Righteous is regarded as a war crime against cultural heritage and memory."
They Target Memory: How Russia’s Massive Attack on Kyiv Destroyed Lives, Families and the Alley of the Righteous
A Night of Mourning in Kyiv: An Attack to Remember
Kyiv had not seen such devastation in a single night for a long time. According to the head of the Kyiv City Military Administration, Tkachenko, the official death toll stands at fifteen. Among them — children: a six-year-old, a seventeen-year-old teenager. 155 people were injured, including 16 children.
The city woke up under the rubble: some wept at the ruins of their apartments, others searched for loved ones in hospital lists. Rescue operations continued until the morning.
The Scale of Disaster: When the Whole City is in Ruins
After dawn, it became clear: the geography of destruction covered the entire city. Solomyanskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts — more than thirty locations on the map. The authorities declared August 1 a day of mourning: flags at half-mast, no celebrations.
This night went down in history as one of the hardest for the city and its residents.
Drones: The New Reality of War
But the night did not end there. OSINT analyst Kyle Glen called July a “drone storm.” In one month, Russians launched over 6,297 drones against Ukraine — almost as many as in the entire period from January to October 2024.
The increase is a record 1,374%.
This is not just dry statistics: each launch is a real fear in the soul of every Kyiv resident.
Where Memory Lives: The Alley of the Righteous and Its History
Amid endless reports of destruction, not everyone noticed: among the affected was the Alley of the Righteous — the heart of the Babyn Yar memorial complex.
For many, this is not just part of the landscape: here, the memory of heroes who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust is carefully preserved.
The Birth of the Alley: When Names Become More Than Words
This Alley was opened in September 2001, exactly on the 60th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy. On steel plaques — the surnames and names of those who, despite mortal danger, hid, evacuated, and saved Jewish children and adults from the Nazis.
Each name is not a legend, but a real story of survival.
A walk through the Alley means walking a path between two nations, between past and present. The memorial was created by Jewish communities together with Ukrainian organizations.
Babyn Yar: A Place of Pain and Shared Memory
Babyn Yar is a ravine in the northwest of Kyiv, inscribed in world history with blood.
On September 29-30, 1941, more than 33,000 Kyiv Jews were shot here in just two days!
Later, Roma, prisoners of war, Ukrainian patriots, and other “undesirables” were killed here.
During the war years, according to various estimates, up to 100,000 people were killed in Babyn Yar. For many decades, this tragedy was a semi-forbidden topic: the Soviet government did not want to recognize the national character of the genocide. Only at the end of the 1980s did the first initiatives for a real memorial appear, and in 1991, with Ukraine’s independence, the recognition and preservation of memory began.
When Memory Becomes an Object of International Protection
In December 2024, at the 19th session of the special UNESCO Committee, a historic decision was made: the Babyn Yar memorial was included in the International List of Cultural Heritage under enhanced protection. This is not just a symbolic gesture.
Such status under the Second Protocol of the Hague Convention means that any strike on the site is an international crime.
By the way, Babyn Yar has not yet been officially included in the UNESCO "Tentative List" — the one leading to World Heritage status. But for the civilized world, this is enough: the memorial is under the highest protection.
Why a Strike on the Alley of the Righteous is More Than Just an Episode of War
On that terrible July day, dozens of addresses were affected, homes and destinies destroyed.
But to damage the Alley of the Righteous memorial means to target the very essence of the shared history of Jews and Ukrainians.
This is a place where memory is not forgotten, where rescued families remember their heroes, and descendants bow their heads in respect.
“To strike such an alley is not just a physical destruction, but a moral trauma for two nations. It is an attempt to erase the common lessons of humanity and solidarity.”
Memory Between Israel and Ukraine: A Bridge Across Generations
For Israeli families, the memory of the Righteous is not a museum exhibit, but part of family stories, traditions, and books.
For Ukraine, this is a matter of national dignity: a nation with such heroes deserves respect and support.
Against the backdrop of war, such episodes become a challenge: are we ready to protect the past for the sake of the future?
What Does International Law Say and How Does the World Respond?
UNESCO officially recognizes Babyn Yar as a site under enhanced protection: any military impact, even damage, is considered a violation of international law.
And while this may seem distant to an ordinary citizen, for diplomacy it is an important marker: Moscow now bears responsibility not only to Ukraine, but to all of civilized humanity.
The Relevance Today: Why History Is Needed Now
The massive attack on Kyiv took 15 lives, injured over 150, and brought grief to dozens of families.
Destruction — all over the city, schools, hospitals, residential areas suffered.
But among all these tragedies, it is the damage to the Alley of the Righteous that has become a symbol of a blow not only to Ukraine, but to Jewish and world memory.
NAnews — News of Israel reminds us: memory is not a formality.
It is a bridge that connects Israel and Ukraine today, when support is needed, and tomorrow, when peace comes.
https://nikk.agency/en/the-avenue-of-the/
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