As a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 744 Ukrainian children have been killed, another 2,904 have been injured, and 2,363 are considered missing. In the temporarily occupied territories, Russia is also militarizing Ukrainian children and preparing them for service in its armed forces.
This was stated by Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets during an interactive dialogue with the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine at the 63rd regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, according to his Telegram.
According to the ombudsman, 23 cases of conflict-related sexual violence against children have also been documented.
“These are not just numbers. Behind them is the fate of every child,” Lubinets stressed.
According to him, around 1.6 million Ukrainian children may remain in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The ombudsman said they are issued Russian documents, placed with Russian families, exposed to propaganda, and subjected to efforts aimed at stripping them of their Ukrainian identity.
Lubinets also spoke of the systematic militarization of children in the occupied territories. According to him, minors are being involved in military training, while thousands of young Ukrainians are being conscripted into the Russian army.
The ombudsman called on the international community to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, help establish the whereabouts of every Ukrainian child, and facilitate their safe return to Ukraine.
Lubinets also called for Russia to provide a complete list of all illegally deported and transferred Ukrainian children in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention and to ensure full access for international monitoring missions to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
