There seems to be a historical rewrite today transforming Babi Yar (or Babyn Yar) into a specifically Ukranian tragedy (that has been highlighted by the recent Russian bombing at or near the memorial). However it is important to place all of this in context.
Picture source: Times of Israel
Between the 29th-30th September 1941, 33,771 JEWS (29 survived) were massacred by the Ordnungspolizei (Nazi Order Police), the Ukranian Auxillary Police and the Einsatzgruppen. This was essentially the Holocaust with bullets. Many of these Jews were identified as such by Ukranian collaborators. The evil was specifically directed at Jews. Yes the Jews were Ukranian nationals but they were not killed because they were Ukranians but because they were Jews.
It is also worth noting that the Nazis tried to cover this up using the Sonderaktion 1005 action plan with the same cast of victimizers working together once again.
Now it is true that the total number of people killed at the site during the duration of the war likely numbered somewhere between 100,000-150,000 (a figure that includes more Jews, Soviet prisoners of war, Ukranian nationalists and Romany) but this should not detract on the origins of Babi Yar as a testament to the mass genocide of Jews, a tragedy that would not be possible to the same extent without the help of local collaborators
Source: Karel C. Berkhoff (2008). Babi Yar Massacre The Shoah in Ukraine: History, Testimony, Memorialization.
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