Israeli police arrive in Uman to help secure Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage
Israeli police have arrived in Uman to work alongside Ukrainian law enforcement on public order and security during the Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage. Joint patrols with Ukrainian police, State Emergency Service rescuers and National Guard personnel are under way, and the Cherkasy Oblast police describe the situation as stable and controlled.
Key points
- Israeli police arrived in Uman to maintain public order jointly with Ukrainian law enforcement during Rosh Hashanah.
- They will remain in Uman until the end of the Rosh Hashanah celebration.
- Joint patrols with SES rescuers and National Guard servicemembers are being conducted, along with explanatory work among pilgrims.
- The Cherkasy Oblast police announced the arrival; sources differ on whether the announcement was on 5 September or 6 September.
- In July, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that Israeli Hasidic pilgrims not travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah because of the security situation linked to the war and Russian strikes.
- The US State Department also urged US citizens not to travel to the pilgrimage, citing the threat of Russian strikes and a shortage of shelters.
- In 2023, a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Uman killed 23 people, including six children; in 2025 more than 35,000 Hasidim visited for the holiday.
Why it matters
Tens of thousands of Hasidic pilgrims gather in Uman each year for Rosh Hashanah, making security coordination a significant cross-border operation. The pilgrimage takes place amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine, raising the risk of missile strikes on a densely packed civilian gathering, and the joint Ukrainian-Israeli deployment — police, SES rescuers and National Guard personnel working together — is a concrete demonstration of bilateral security cooperation.
What happened
Israeli police officers arrived in Uman to work jointly with Ukrainian law enforcement on public order and security during the Rosh Hashanah pilgrimage, which this year is observed from 11 to 13 September. The arrival was reported by the Cherkasy Oblast police (sources differ on whether the announcement was issued on 5 September or on Sunday, 6 September). During a coordination meeting Ukrainian and Israeli representatives agreed on joint actions to ensure order and security in the pilgrimage area, and the officers will remain in Uman until the holiday ends. Israeli and Ukrainian police, together with SES rescuers and National Guard servicemembers, are now conducting joint patrols and explanatory work among pilgrims. The police say the situation in Uman remains stable and controlled.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian sources centre the story on domestic law enforcement, the Cherkasy Oblast police in particular, and emphasise coordinated Ukrainian-Israeli security measures, joint patrols and a stable, controlled situation in Uman. They foreground the security risks posed by the war and Russian strikes, including the 2023 Russian missile strike on an apartment block in Uman that killed 23 people including six children, and frame the joint operation as necessary for pilgrim protection. The Foreign Ministry's July advisory against travel to Uman is cited as part of the context for the heightened security posture.
How international sources describe it
The only non-Ukrainian voice in the available material is the US State Department, which framed the situation around a travel warning for US citizens, citing the threat of Russian strikes and insufficient shelter capacity rather than the security cooperation on the ground.
Where reporting differs
The supplied facts give two different dates for the Cherkasy Oblast police announcement of the Israeli officers' arrival: one says 5 September, another says Sunday, 6 September.
Background
Uman is the site of the tomb of Rabbi Nachman, founder of Breslov Hasidism, and draws tens of thousands of pilgrims each Rosh Hashanah: about 35,000 in 2023, more than 30,000 in 2024, and more than 35,000 in 2025. In 2023 a Russian missile strike on an apartment building in Uman killed 23 people, including six children. In July, Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that Israeli Hasidic pilgrims not travel to Uman for Rosh Hashanah because of the security situation linked to the war and Russian strikes. The US State Department similarly called on US citizens not to travel to Uman for the pilgrimage, citing the threat of Russian strikes and a lack of shelters for all pilgrims.