At least 453 children have been killed and at least 877 have been injured since the start of the war in Ukraine, the country’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Saturday.
“Since February 24, 2022 [Russia] had killed 453 [Ukrainian] children and injured 877,” Reznikov said in a Twitter post.
“However, real numbers are much higher. russia has been committing war crimes and has no plans to stop. #tribunal4russia,” he said.
It comes after UNICEF warned last month that Russian strikes on critical infrastructure in Ukraine have put the physical and mental health of “almost every child” in the country “at desperate risk.”
“Millions of children are facing a bleak winter huddled in the cold and the dark, with little idea of how or when respite may arrive,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Beyond the immediate threats the freezing conditions bring, children are also deprived of the ability to learn or stay connected with friends and family, putting both their physical and their mental health at desperate risk.”
Damaged health facilities may be unable to provide critical services, while malfunctioning water systems “raise the already extremely high risks of pneumonia, seasonal influenza, waterborne diseases and Covid-19,” UNICEF said.
