“I am shocked by the barbaric attack, which took place in the Nachman synagogue in Uman. Anti-Semitism is a horrible plague, which is carried out not only in Ukraine. It is necessary to root it out,’’ said , Israel’s honorary consul to Ukraine’s Western region, Oleh Vyshniakov, after visitors arrived to a gruesome anti-Semitic scene of a pig's head and red paint splatters Wednesday morning at the grave of venerated Rabbi Nachman of Breslov in Uman.

Vyshniakov noted that Prosecutor General of Ukraine, Yuriy Lytsenki, had already made a statement about the incident, where he said that he would personally take control of the investigation because it's important, "and promised that everything would be alright."

According to Vyshniakov, the attack was committed by provocateurs, who do not like Ukraine’s strengthening ties with Israel. ‘’The criminals and traitors must be punished to the fullest extent of the law, ‘ he said.

‘’What disturbs me most of all is that the crazy act of violence committed against revered figures of the Jewish people was committed when relations between Ukraine and Israel were strengthening. Not long ago there was a vote in the United Nations where Israel supported the sovereignty of Ukraine,’’ he added.

"I hope the Israelis will understand that this attack was done as a provocative act and does not reflect the Ukrainian attitude towards Israel and Israelis in the least. The Ukrainian people are very grateful for this support and true friendship".

Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman, who is Jewish, is scheduled to make a visit to Israel next week.

The Chief Rabbi of Ukraine, Moshe Asman, said : "We will look into it, we have ways to do this, along with the police and local intelligence institutions, we will try to reach them. Vandals threw a pig's head and shed blood." "The question now is who did it, it wasn't easy to move it there, because the area is inhabited by a lot of Jews." "There haven't been events like this, but there are always cases of anti-Semitism before the New Year. In such a small place sometimes there are incidents, but I don't have any more details, we will learn more from the investigation," he added.

Israel’s Opposition leader Isaac Herzog (Zionist Union) called the incident an "anti-Semitic, heinous act" and joined the chorus of Israeli voices demanding that the Ukrainian leadership take urgent action to find the culprits and bring them to justice. Herzog is set to meet with the Ukrainian Prime Minister when he visits Israel, and said he expects him to come with clear answers about the measures the government intends to take to protect Jewish visitors to the holy site as well as those who go to synagogues in the country.

Rabbi Nachman, spiritual leader of the Breslov Chasidim, was born in the city of Medzhybizh in 1772 and died in 1810 in Uman. Since then, Uman has become a mecca for Bratslavers. About 150,000 people visit Nachman's grave every year, especially during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.