A local synagogue has described the alleged incident as a “targeted, cruel, and premeditated act of anti-Semitism”
A Jewish worshiper has been attacked in Kiev after confronting a group of young men who were performing Nazi salutes, according to a local synagogue.
The incident reportedly took place in the Obolon district of the Ukrainian capital during the Sabbath last weekend. The attackers were described in a statement as a group of males who were intent on provocation.
When a man wearing a kippah and tzitzit – traditional symbols of the Jewish faith – stepped outside to confront them, he was sprayed in the face with pepper spray, sustaining chemical burns before the assailants fled the scene. The statement condemned the assault as a “targeted, cruel, and premeditated act of anti-Semitism.”
The synagogue also reported that a similar provocation occurred the previous day, when another group of young men shouted anti-Semitic slurs and performed Nazi salutes after spotting the community’s rabbi outside the building.
Kiev police confirmed on Sunday that they had launched an investigation into the reported attacks. The synagogue said the Israeli ambassador to Ukraine had been notified and was working with Ukrainian authorities to ensure accountability.
Ukraine has a history of anti-Jewish violence, including atrocities committed by Nazi collaborators during World War II. Since the 2014 coup in Kiev, ultranationalist movements – some of which openly glorify wartime nationalist groups and promote Nazi ideology – have gained political influence. Ukrainian officials, however, maintain that anti-Semitism poses no significant problem in the country.
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