For the Israeli delegation visiting the Ukrainian capital this week, the wail of air-raid sirens signaling incoming drones or missiles was a familiar sound. However, a critical difference quickly became apparent: Ukraine lacks an Iron Dome or a multilayered air defense system comparable to Israel’s, which provides a robust sense of security at home. In Kyiv, when the alerts sound, residents simply head underground and wait.
That was the reality for former minister and Kharkiv native Ze’ev Elkin and his fellow delegation members on Tuesday night.
As ballistic missiles and drones targeted the capital, the group spent the night in a makeshift shelter arranged by the Israeli Embassy at their hotel, sleeping on beds placed side-by-side in a reinforced room.
Elkin and the delegation had traveled to Ukraine to mark the 85th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre, where Nazi forces and local collaborators murdered tens of thousands of Jews in a ravine outside Kyiv in September 1941.
Ukraine is currently navigating a dangerous and uncertain phase of the war. Russian forces continue to strike Ukrainian cities, while Ukraine has shown a growing capacity to hit targets deep inside Russian territory.
The deteriorating security situation led several international delegations slated for the Babyn Yar commemorations to cancel. Among the senior delegations that did arrive were those from Israel and Germany.
Elkin Leads Israeli Delegation with Yad Vashem Officials at Babyn Yar Memorial
The Israeli delegation comprised Elkin, Yad Vashem Chairman Dani Dayan, other Yad Vashem representatives, and senior officials managing Israel’s relations with Ukraine.
The symbolism was profound: a ceremony commemorating one of the darkest chapters in European history unfolded while the continent is again engulfed in a major war.
The most significant political meeting arose unexpectedly. Upon learning of the Israeli minister’s presence, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Elkin and the delegation for talks. They discussed the war, the regional landscape, and the strategic calculations involving Israel, Ukraine, and the United States.
Zelensky was particularly keen to hear Israel’s assessment of developments concerning Iran and the wider Middle East.
Both nations recognize that as cooperation between Russia and Iran deepens, developments in Kyiv can eventually reverberate in Jerusalem.
According to multiple reports, joint Iranian-Russian facilities are operating inside Russia to upgrade drones, with Iran receiving a share of the enhanced systems.
Zelensky warned the delegation that the drones Iran is co-developing with Russia, combined with the operational experience both nations are accumulating, could eventually pose a direct threat to Israel.
Beyond the presidential meeting, Elkin held talks with senior Ukrainian officials, including the parliamentary speaker and the minister tasked with postwar infrastructure reconstruction—a portfolio mirroring Elkin’s own responsibilities for rebuilding Israel’s north and south.
Delegation Holds Memorial for October 7 Victims
Together with Ukraine’s Jewish community and the Israeli Embassy, Elkin and the delegation also held a memorial ceremony for the victims of the October 7 attacks.
The message from Ukrainian counterparts was unambiguous: they seek improved bilateral relations.
The central question looming over Kyiv is whether the conflict is heading toward a negotiated settlement or further escalation.
Ukrainian strikes increasingly reach targets inside Russia, altering a dynamic where fighting was largely confined to Ukrainian territory. Simultaneously, Russian forces have struggled to achieve rapid breakthroughs along the front lines.
This combination creates a dangerous incentive for Moscow to seek new ways to shift the strategic balance.
The most intractable issue in any potential negotiations remains the Donbas.
Russia demands Ukraine withdraw from remaining Ukrainian-held areas in Donetsk Oblast, effectively requiring Kyiv to cede positions defended since the 2014 conflict began.
For Ukraine, the challenge is not merely political.
The Donbas houses a defensive system built over more than a decade. Ukrainian forces have spent years constructing fortifications there, and Russia’s slow advances underscore the difficulty of breaching them.
Relinquishing them would mean more than ceding territory; it would shift the defensive line westward, creating a new strategic vulnerability.
This explains why the issue remains one of the most formidable obstacles to any potential deal.
Elkin’s visit carried unavoidable symbolism.
At Babyn Yar, Elkin delivered his remarks in Ukrainian—a gesture that resonated in a country where language and identity have become integral to the struggle against Russia.
During their meeting, Zelensky highlighted Elkin’s command of Ukrainian, quipping that his grammar and pronunciation surpassed those of some Ukrainian ministers.
The Babyn Yar ceremony was meant to commemorate a catastrophe from 85 years ago. Yet in today’s Kyiv, remembrance and present reality are impossible to separate.