The Israeli Foreign Ministry denied reports on Friday that Russia has said they will not be able to guarantee the safety of Israeli pilgrims going to the Ukrainian city of Uman for the Rosh Hashanah holiday as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.N12 had reported that Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had warned Israeli Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi about the security situation regarding Uman, where hundreds of thousands of ultra-Orthodox Jews flock to every year for Rosh Hashanah to visit the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, the founder of the Breslov hassidim.
Though Israel has already issued a travel warning regarding Ukraine and in particular Uman for Rosh Hashanah and Ukraine has also warned that they wouldn't be able to guarantee the safety of Israeli worshipers, Ben-Zvi warned that many Israelis are already on their way there.
N12 reported that though Bogdanov said Russia can't guarantee the safety of Israelis in Uman, he asked for information about the worshipers so the Russian Army would be made aware.
Ukraine also warned they can't guarantee safety in Uman for Rosh Hashanah
Earlier in August, Ukraine's Ambassador to Israel Yevgen Korniychuk noted that in 2021, more than 30,000 Breslov Hassidim went to Uman – mostly from Israel but also from the US, the UK and France – and a similarly large gathering this year would attract attention from the Russian Army, which could attack the pilgrimage site.
“Imagine if Russia shells them – what would happen?” he asked, stressing that the safety of Israeli Rosh Hashanah pilgrims in Uman can't be guaranteed.
This is a developing story.
Lahav Harkov contributed to this report.