Russian Ambassador to Israel Anatoly Viktorov rejected reports that a Russian airstrike damaged the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial in Kyiv this week.
Viktorov told the Israeli media Thursday afternoon: "Ukraine claimed that we had bombed the monument to Babyn Yar. It was Fake News. No damage was done to the memorial despite the claims of the President of Ukraine."
The ambassador referred to the progress of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and said "we do not want to occupy Ukraine. We are not trying to harm the Ukrainian people but only working against those who took Ukraine hostage."
"The Israeli government must examine whether the efforts of the Ukrainian embassy in Israel to recruit volunteers for combat do not constitute a violation of Israeli law or of Israel's international obligations," he stated.
He said the crisis had not affected the coordination mechanism between Israel and Russia in Syria, "It is in the common interest of Russia and Israel to continue the coordination mechanism in Syria."
Regarding the conversation yesterday between Bennett and Putin, the ambassador said: "He mentioned the details of the operation, Bennett expressed his opinion on what was happening and they agreed to keep in touch."
Yediot Aharonot reporter Ron Ben Yishai visited the site of the Babyn Yar memorial and said that there was no damage to the site from the attack, which struck a television tower close by.