A recent report by a nonprofit organization working in Ukraine revealed that over 22,000 Ukrainian children have been either killed or injured since Vladimir Putin initiated the invasion.
The findings from the Ukraine Children’s Action Project highlighted the devastating effects of the war on Ukraine’s future generation. According to reports from the Financial Times, authorities in Russia have taken in children displaced from their homes during the early stages of the conflict.
UNICEF announced on May 13th that at least 1,993 children have been casualties of the conflict, averaging two child casualties per day since the outbreak of full-scale conflict.
UCAP noted that the reported numbers only reflect the impact on unoccupied parts of Ukraine, making it challenging to estimate the toll on children in occupied regions that make up about 18% of its area.
In August 2022, Redlener warned of a potential lost generation of Ukrainians. As of the latest update, the Ukrainian Government’s website, Children of War, reported 19,546 children as “deported” or “forcibly displaced.”
Regarding the kidnapped children, the Russian Government claimed to have located and identified four Ukrainian children, allegedly adopted in Russia since the conflict’s onset. Investigations revealed discrepancies in identities and highlighted concerns over the adoption practices.
Children between eight and 15 years old were separated from their families in southern and eastern Ukraine under Russian control. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin and Maria Lvova Belova for war crimes related to illegal deportation of children.
UCAP reported that the conflict has led to five million refugees and the destruction of over four thousand schools, impacting both Ukraine and regions in Europe and North America. Many Ukrainian children suffer from PTSD due to ongoing Russian bombings and uncertainty about their family members involved in the war.
Redlener emphasized the growing impact of the war on children, but he also highlighted their resilience, intelligence, and motivation, providing hope amid the challenges they face.