Kyiv commemorates 85th anniversary of Babyn Yar massacre

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky joined Jewish community leaders, rabbis, and diplomats from approximately 50 countries to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre in Kyiv. The ceremony honored the tens of thousands of Jews, as well as Roma, Soviet prisoners of war, and psychiatric patients, murdered by Nazi forces and their collaborators during the German occupation in 1941.

On September 29 and 30, 1941, German Einsatzgruppen and police units murdered approximately 34,000 Jewish people in the ravine. Total deaths at the site during the occupation are estimated between 40,000 and 50,000.

The memorial event took place under heavy security, including specialized air-defense systems and snipers, due to concerns regarding potential Russian drone attacks. Zelensky noted that the atrocities must be remembered as Russia continues its ongoing war against Ukraine. The commemoration also coincided with new exhibitions at the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve focusing on Ukrainian-Jewish history from 1920 to 2025.