September 29-30 are days of mourning for the innocent victims executed by Nazi occupiers in Kyiv's Babyn Yar ravine.

On these days in 1941, nearly 34,000 Jews — men, women, children, and elderly people — perished at the hands of the Nazis.

Over the following two years, more than 100,000 people were murdered at Babyn Yar — Jews, Ukrainians, Roma, prisoners of war, underground fighters, inmates of the Syrets concentration camp, and civilian hostages.

These horrific mass executions remain a painful reminder of Nazi crimes during the Holocaust, with the shootings at Babyn Yar standing out as among the most brutal. These atrocities embodied an aggressive and chauvinistic ideology, contempt for human rights, and disregard for universally recognized principles of humanism.

Today we commemorate these tragic events for the fourth time amid Russia's ongoing full-scale invasion of Ukraine. On Ukrainian soil, as during World War II, horrific atrocities are once again being committed: mass, systematic, and targeted killings of innocent civilians, large-scale deportations of children, torture and abuse, destruction of civilian infrastructure and cultural heritage — all aimed at destroying or altering national identity.

Despite wartime circumstances, Ukraine consistently preserves historical memory and protects the rights of people of all nationalities and faiths. Our state has successfully ensured, even during full-scale war, the annual pilgrimage of tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims to Uman for the Jewish New Year holiday — Rosh Hashanah.

This year, approximately 40,000 pilgrims came to Uman, which not only represents a record number during the years of Russia's war against Ukraine, but also confirms Ukraine's commitment to principles of religious freedom and intercultural dialogue.

This year, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine launched the "Diplomacy of Memory" project, aimed at strengthening the diplomatic service's role in preserving historical truth and preventing attempts to distort it, including countering Russian disinformation.

The memory of Babyn Yar's victims should inspire everyone to act in the present — to defend the fundamental values of human dignity, freedom, and justice. Only through joint efforts can we build a world where such tragedies will truly never be repeated.