German Ambassador Heiko Thoms visited Yahidne in the Chernihiv region ahead of the fourth anniversary of the village’s liberation from Russian forces.
The German Embassy in Ukraine reported on X.
“Four years ago, Yahidne in Chernihiv was liberated. Over 300 people were held in the basement, dozens were killed — 27 days of terror under Russian occupation. On the basement walls were children’s drawings and notes about those who died. Recently, Ambassador Thoms visited Yahidne to honor the victims and support the community.”
On March 3, 2022, Russian troops entered Yahidne, forcing residents from their homes and confining them to a school basement. In total, Russian forces held 367 people in the 197 m² basement, including 50 children and several infants, the youngest just one and a half months old. Eleven villagers died due to the inhumane conditions, and 10 were executed by the Russian troops.
