In Kherson region, 39 children killed due to Russian aggression over three years of war

This was reported by Andrii Kovalenko, Deputy Head of the Kherson Regional Prosecutor’s Office, in a comment for Ukrinform.

“Starting February 28, 2025, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies have registered over a thousand criminal proceedings regarding war crimes and crimes of aggression in the area of juvenile justice. In 294 cases, these crimes were committed directly against children, and 819 others involved crimes in the child protection sphere,” Kovalenko said.

Most of the war crimes against children are related to violent actions by Russian soldiers, including indiscriminate shelling, which resulted in children killed and injured, damage to civilian infrastructure such as children’s facilities, as well as the forced deportation of children to Russia or temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Additionally, there have been instances of deliberate killings of children, detaining them, and sexual violence related to the war.

According to Kovalenko, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 229 children have been affected in the region, with 39 deaths and 190 children suffering bodily injuries of varying severity.

Kovalenko also pointed out that as a result of indiscriminate shelling by Russian forces, 579 educational institutions and eight child protection facilities were damaged or destroyed in the region. Some of these facilities have been damaged multiple times.

Regarding the prosecution of Russian aggressors, Kovalenko noted that, under the procedural leadership of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, six Russian military personnel and representatives of the armed groups under their control have been charged for crimes committed against children.

“Indictments against five of them have already been sent to court, and one investigation is still ongoing,” Kovalenko said.

Notably, this includes the case of a minor girl killed by Russian forces in April 2022 in Pravdyne village, who died along with six adult workers from an agricultural firm. The Russians blew up the house with their bodies. The indictment regarding this incident has been sent to court against the commander of the Black Sea Fleet Marine Corps unit.

There is also the case of a commander of the 8th Artillery Regiment of the Black Sea Fleet who ordered the shelling of central Kherson on December 24, 2022, resulting in injuries to children. Another case involves a Russian soldier from the 25th Separate Guards Special Purpose Regiment, who was suspected of committing sexual violence against a woman and her daughter in summer 2022.

Separately, the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating collaboration activities by Ukrainian citizens who assisted Russian occupiers in implementing Russian educational standards in the region. 63 individuals are currently under investigation, with charges filed against five of them. 53 others are being investigated in absentia.

Kovalenko further explained that the actual number of people being prosecuted for collaboration is much higher, as investigations are conducted by law enforcement agencies from various regions, with procedural oversight by prosecutors from other regions, specialized prosecutors, or the Office of the General Prosecutor.

Additionally, law enforcement officers are investigating cases of militarization of children in the temporarily occupied territories of Kherson region. This includes coercion into paramilitary groups under Russian control, with three criminal cases opened.

One of the most serious crimes being investigated is the deportation or forced relocation of children. Since February 24, 2022, 74 criminal proceedings have been opened concerning these crimes.

“In 40 criminal cases regarding the deportation of children, law enforcement agencies in the region are being supervised by the Office of the General Prosecutor,” Kovalenko emphasized.

In 29 cases, the deportation of 735 Ukrainian children has been confirmed, most of whom were taken to Russia under the pretext of “healthcare”.

There are also criminal proceedings concerning the coercion of children into acquiring Russian citizenship, with two cases currently documented.

As Ukrinform reported, during the initial days of the full-scale invasion, when the Russian forces entered settlements in Kherson region, they mowed down cars carrying entire families on their way, committing atrocities along their path.