Ukraine claims 353 children slain, 662 injured since Russia launched military offensive

The Ukrainian Prosecutor’s Office stated recently that at least 353 children have been slain while 662 have been injured since the onset of Russia's ruthless military invasion of Ukraine. However, the Prosecutor's office added that “these figures are not final as work is underway in places of active hostilities”.

They also informed that Ukrainian authorities do not have clear information regarding injuries and deaths in the areas that are still under Russian occupation.

According to the data shared by Prosecutor General's Office, Donetsk has reported the highest number of child victims in the country with the number as high as 352, followed by Kharkiv with 192 children either killed or wounded. Capital Kyiv has reported that at least 116 children had so far suffered due to the ongoing war, with 68 children in Chernihiv, 61 in Lugansk, 53 in Mykolaiv, 52 in Jerson and 31 in Zaporizhia.  

"In total, at least 353 children have been killed and 662 have been injured so died since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine," Ukraine's Prosecutor General office said in the statement. 

Earlier in June, the United Nations (UN) disclosed that over 250 children have been killed since the war began, while five million remain at risk of violence and abuse. It is pertinent to note that children have been the most impacted by the war as the crisis has forced millions of people to flee their homeland. 

23 people, including 3 children killed in Vinnytsia

Meanwhile, Ukrainian authorities on Friday informed that at least 23 people have been slain and more than 100 people have been injured due to the Russian missile strikes in Vinnytsia. The Ukrainian officials added that missile strikes carried out by Russian forces have also caused damage to offices, stores and residential buildings and health clinics in Ukraine. 

Following the incident, in a late-night video address on July 14, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called on the international community to recognise Russia as a "terrorist state." 

UN asserts 12 mn people fled homeland since onset of invasion

Highlighting the devastating and lasting consequences of the war on millions of people in Ukraine, the UN has revealed that at least 12 million people have so far fled their homes since the Russian invasion. The intergovernmental organisation avered that more than five million destitute people have been exiled to neighbouring countries, while seven million people are thought to be displaced inside Ukraine itself.

As the conflict intensifies in war-torn Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday also ordered an investigation into the deaths and injuries of children.