Ninety delegations from across the globe participated, bringing together more than 7,000 people, including over 80 Holocaust survivors. Among them were Israeli citizens recently freed from Hamas captivity.

Ukraine has taken part in the March of the Living since 2018. For the first time this year, representatives of the Babyn Yar National Historical and Memorial Reserve joined the official Ukrainian delegation. Their institutional participation marked an important step forward in strengthening international cooperation in the fields of Holocaust remembrance and the broader culture of memory regarding twentieth-century mass atrocities.

"This year's march ended under heavy rain and flashes of lightning. As a woman who survived Auschwitz and an Israeli soldier sang in Yiddish, thousands stood in the downpour, applauding," said Roza Tapanova, Director of the Babyn Yar Reserve.
"We saw people approach the Ukrainian flags, saying 'Glory to Ukraine,' and taking photos. In turn, we called out 'Am Yisrael Chai' whenever we saw the Israeli flags. It was a profound lesson in respect, dignity, and shared humanity".

The participation of the Ukrainian delegation was made possible through the initiative of Tetiana Krytenko from The Friends of Israel (FOI) organization, who has been actively promoting Holocaust remembrance culture in Ukraine for many years.

"Ukraine’s participation in the March of the Living is not only an act of solidarity", Krytenko noted. "It reflects our values. When we, as Ukrainians, open our hearts to the tragedy of other people, we can hope that our own tragedy will not be buried beneath the ashes of indifferent memory".

Among the Ukrainian participants was artist Matviy Vaisberg, who walked the path for the third time:
"Each time I walk at Auschwitz, it is not a journey into the past, but an encounter with the silent voice of humanity breaking through the horror’s stillness", Vaisberg shared.
"This road wounds differently each time. It is not just history — it is my family: my cousin’s grandmother was murdered at Babyn Yar, and a distant relative perished in the Berdychiv ghetto. This memory is not abstract to me — it is personal, physical, and alive. As long as we remember and reflect, they live".

During the March, the Ukrainian delegation also held informal meetings with representatives from Canada, Israel, the United States, Poland, and Australia. All expressed strong support for Ukraine, emphasizing that international law, human dignity, and historical truth must ultimately prevail.