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At least 707 Ukrainian children have been killed since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to Ukrainian officials marking the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on June 4, UATV English reports.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the day serves as a reminder of the children who have suffered as a result of war and violence.
“Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed at least 707 young Ukrainians. Every death is a child whose future was stolen. Russia must be held accountable for these crimes,” Zelenskyy stated.
Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets provided additional details, saying that 2,548 children have been injured since February 2022, while 2,318 are considered missing.
According to Lubinets, the youngest victim was only two days old. The child was born and killed in a maternity hospital during a Russian attack.
The ombudsman stressed that the actual number of child victims is likely higher because Ukraine does not have access to complete information from territories currently under Russian occupation. He also noted that thousands of Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia since the start of the war.
The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression was established by the United Nations to recognize the suffering of children affected by armed conflict and violence around the world.
Read also: “We Have Clearly Chosen a Side” — Rubio on US Mediation in Russia’s War Against Ukraine
