For the first time in about a year, a Russian ballistic missile struck the city of Uman on Friday. Uman, located in central Ukraine, is home to the kever of Reb Nachman of Breslov. While dozens of people in the impact area and its surroundings were reported injured, authorities confirmed that there were no fatalities.

The missile landed approximately 50 meters from the “Tiferes HaMatzos” matzah bakery, where dozens of workers were present at the time. The bakery produces roughly 70 tons of matzah, which are distributed free of charge to Jews throughout Ukraine by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine and Chabad, and are also sold to Jewish communities in Europe and the United States.

The powerful blast caused significant damage to the bakery’s main entrance, with glass windows shattering from the force of the explosion. Technical equipment stored in the bakery’s courtyard was also damaged. In a great miracle, no one was injured.

Uman is home to approximately 80,000 residents. According to estimates, several hundred Israelis live there on a permanent basis near the kever of Reb Nachman, in addition to hundreds of visitors who come to the holy site daily.

About a year after the war began, in March 2023, a drone struck the main branch of the same matzah bakery in Dnipro. That incident also caused damage but, Boruch Hashem, resulted in no injuries.

In recent months, more than ten physical attacks have been recorded against Jewish religious sites across Ukraine. These include synagogues in Kherson, Odessa, and Kyiv; the home of a rabbi in Dnipro; damage to the vehicle of the chief rabbi of Kherson; and Jewish cemeteries in several cities, most recently in Kharkiv about two weeks ago. In most cases, these were direct hits, while in others the damage was caused by nearby missile or drone strikes.

The Federation of Jewish Communities of Ukraine (FJCU) stated: “The most recent Shabbos was among the most difficult we have experienced since the start of the war. In Kyiv, air-raid sirens sounded continuously for 16 hours, and 40 percent of the city was left without electricity, while other cities were completely dark. At this time, a meeting is expected to take place between President Trump and President Zelensky. We all hope it will bring good news of peace and prosperity, and of course, we daven for the true and complete Geulah.”

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