A Holocaust survivor was killed by a Russian missile in Ukraine

On Tuesday, December 30, 2025, in Kherson, Yevgeny Alexandrovich Bondar died — a member of the city’s Jewish community who survived World War II and the Holocaust but did not survive the current war. He died from the consequences of severe injuries sustained a few days earlier as a result of Russian shelling and a mine explosion. According to various sources, he was over 84 years old.

During the intense shelling of Kherson, Bondar received multiple shrapnel wounds. The injuries were critical: the shrapnel hit internal organs, and his arm had to be amputated. Doctors fought for his life until the end, but the injuries were incompatible with survival.

The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Asman, reported that it was a direct hit by shrapnel from Russian munitions. According to him, medical teams did everything possible, but it was not possible to save the victim. Asman also emphasized that such tragedies occur with alarming regularity in frontline regions.

Kherson remains one of the cities where the humanitarian consequences of the war are felt daily. The mine danger, artillery shelling, and lack of stable security create an environment of constant risk for civilians — regardless of age, nationality, or religion.

The story of Yevgeny Bondar is the story of a man who went through Nazi persecution and survived the years of targeted extermination of Jews in Europe. His life was shaped under the pressure of the wars and ideologies of the 20th century. However, in the 21st century, he became a victim of a new military reality.

Rabbi Asman, in his address, noted that Bondar survived the Nazis who hunted Jews but did not survive the Russian shelling. He characterized what is happening as further evidence that the war in Ukraine takes the lives not only of Ukrainians but also of representatives of other peoples who lived peacefully on this land.

After his death, alarming sentiments intensified in the city. Local residents are once again raising questions about the protection of the civilian population, medical assistance, and evacuation from dangerous areas. Behind the dry reports of losses are specific fates that are repeated day after day.

The death of Yevgeny Bondar became another reminder of the cost of war and that the historical memory of the Holocaust did not protect survivors from modern armed conflicts. This story is part of the overall toll of human casualties, which continues to grow, and is regularly reported by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.