Russia denies Ukrainian claim of plans to fire missiles at Jewish pilgrims in Uman

Russia strongly denies that Moscow is planning to fire missiles at Jewish pilgrims visiting the Ukrainian city of Uman during Rosh Hashanah, as an adviser to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed on Israeli public television.

Speaking with Kan last week, Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia may lob missiles at Uman to cause “global shock.”

The spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry dismisses the Podolyak’s warning as “an absurd thought and of course fake.”

“Nevertheless these comments need to be taken seriously because they are coming from the regime in Kyiv,” Maria Zakharova is quoted saying by Kan. “There is no doubt that [the Ukrainians] are brutal enough to exploit the opportunity to create another anti-Russian provocation.”

Both Jerusalem and Kyiv have warned Jews not to visit Uman — the burial site of Hasidic Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav — due to the fighting in Ukraine resulting from Russia’s invasion.