Ukraine once again calls on Israel to increase its support for Ukraine after deadly attack Russian strikes hit Uman On Thursday night, at least 18 people died.
In a statement on Friday, Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine’s president’s office, appealed to Israel: “The latest chapter in Russia’s war crimes epidemic has seen missiles rain down indiscriminately on civilians as they walk in the holy city of Uman.” were sleeping
“So far, 18 people have been killed. Three of them are children, and the numbers are rising. All Israel – those who go to Uman and those who never know but know what it feels like to have missiles rain down on civilians, They should pay attention.”
Estimates of the number of dead have since risen to at least 25 people.
Yermak’s comments about Israelis in Uman referred to a tradition that sees tens of thousands of Israelis – as well as Jews from the Diaspora – trip to uman every year To pray at the grave of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov on Rosh Hashanah.
Last year, about 7,000 to 10,000 Israelis flew to Uman amid the ongoing war to take part in the annual High Holiday pilgrimage, despite numerous warnings from Israeli and Ukrainian authorities.
Yermak continued his statement by describing Russia’s ongoing war as a new European genocide.
“There is a new genocide in Europe and it is being perpetrated by the Kremlin,” he said. He said, “Israel should use this moment to provide anti-missile and anti-drone support to Ukraine and help protect civilians from Russia’s war of aggression.”
Russia’s biggest attack in months
Russia fired missiles at cities across Ukraine as people slept overnight on Thursday and into the morning of Friday, killing at least 25 civilians in the first large-scale airstrikes in nearly two months, as Kiev said it was The big one was almost ready to attack. Taking back the captured land.
Firefighters tackle a blaze at a residential apartment hit by a Russian missile in the central city of Uman and rescuers climb through a huge pile of smoldering debris, searching for survivors and bodies as worried People were standing.
At least 23 civilians were killed, including four children, an estimated 109 people lived in the part of the block that was hit and 27 flats were completely destroyed, officials said.
How has Israel helped Ukraine in the past?
In February, Israel’s Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, Cohen agreed to publicly support Zelensky’s peace plan when it came to a vote at the United Nations General Assembly the following week.
“Israel supports the independence and sovereignty of Ukraine and we will support the Ukrainian resolution proposed at the United Nations,” he said.
Israel also agreed to make good on the previous government’s promise to provide Ukraine with an early warning system, something that former Defense Minister Benny Gantz had already told Ukraine would do last October.
The most active public gesture Israel made last year came just six weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s new government was sworn in.
Zelensky released a positive statement about Cohen’s visit as the foreign minister left town. “Israel has always been an important partner of ours in the Middle East. This is the first visit by an Israeli representative since the start of the full-scale invasion,” the president said.
“We discussed deepening bilateral cooperation in various fields. I invite Israel to join us in the implementation of our peace formula; I am grateful for the humanitarian assistance provided. We discussed the country’s participation in the post-war reconstruction. Ukraine can use Israel’s experience,” Zelensky said.
“I hope this visit will contribute to the deepening of our cooperation.”
Israel is under pressure from the US to help Ukraine on economic, humanitarian and security levels, but Cohen’s visit stems from his own deep belief that the Jewish state must do more to help the beleaguered country.
Israel is in a complicated position when it comes to Ukraine, given Russia’s military presence in neighboring Syria and the importance of maintaining ties with Moscow to coordinate actions against Iran in the region.
It is expected that Kiev understands the complexity of the situation in which Israel finds itself and the reasons why it hesitates to cross a clear line to Moscow Not providing Ukraine with defensive weapons.
Tovah Lazaroff and Reuters contributed to this report.