Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has claimed that Russia has abducted over 200,000 children, tearing apart families and taking them from orphanages.
In his latest nightly address to mark Ukraine ’s Children’s Day, June 1, the Kyiv leader spoke about the impact Russia ’s invasion has had on his country’s children.
He said that 243 children had tragically died, 689 had been injured and 139 had gone missing.
These figures only included the children they were aware of.
On top of that, he also spoke about Russia’s “criminal policy” of stealing Ukrainians and “forcibly deporting” them across the border.
Zelensky branded this one of Russia’s “most heinous war crimes” and said that it involved orphans from orphanages, children with parents and children separated from their families.
The president also spoke of a number of heartbreaking examples of the children who had been brutally killed.
Fourteen-year-old Anya, from Bucha, home of the infamous massacre, was killed along with her mother and grandmother when the minibus they were trying to escape in was fired upon by Russian troops.
He also spoke of a young girl called Polina, who wasn’t even two years old.
She lived in Boroyanka and had been at home when a Russian tank fired upon her house, killing her instantly.
Arina, who’s fourth birthday would’ve been this month, died in the Mykolaiv region after an artillery strike led to her receiving fatal shrapnel wounds.
He continued: “Like little Denys from the Zhytomyr region, from the village of Malynivka, who died with his whole family when a Russian plane dropped bombs on the village. Denys was less than two years old.
“Like Stepan from the village of Novi Petrivtsi, Kyiv region. He was less than three years old when a Russian shell hit the yard. The kid was fatally wounded.
“Svyatoslav from Odesa, he was 15 years old. He was killed by a Russian missile strike at a dormitory. It happened on May 2. His body was retrieved from the rubble of the house.
“Alisa from Okhtyrka, Sumy region. 7-year-old kid. She died on the second day of a full-scale war as a result of Russian artillery shelling. The occupiers simply fired at the houses.
“Mykyta from the city of Izyum, Kharkiv region. He was 3 years old. On the night of March 3, he was killed by a Russian air strike at the city. A total of nine people died that night.
“Two sisters - Varvara and Polina from Mariupol. Varvara was 14 years old and Polina was 11. They died as a result of the Russian shelling of an apartment building.”
The heartbreaking claims come as the war approaches its 100th day of fighting. Since Russia invaded on February 24 tens of thousands of people have died on both sides of the war.
It is believed Russia has suffered the heavier casualties with estimates putting their death toll as high as 20,000.
Nearly seven million people have fled Ukraine, with over half of them escaping to Poland.
