Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office investigates more than 1,000 criminal proceedings on Russian war crimes against children

Oksana Dymytriyeva, head of the Department for Protection of Children's Interests and Combating Violence of the Prosecutor General's Office, shared the information at the Military Media Center.

"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, more than 1,000 criminal proceedings have been registered and are being investigated for war crimes committed by the Russian Federation against children. Almost 1,800 more crimes are related to the destruction of civilian infrastructure," the press service writes.

At least 484 children were killed in the territory of Ukraine as a result of the Russian aggression, and another 992 suffered injuries of varying severity.

There were 13 cases of sexual violence against Ukrainian children. The youngest victim was 4 years old.

About 19,500 Ukrainian minors were forcibly deported to Russian-controlled territories.

Russia destroyed about 3,000 educational institutions.

Information available regarding the deportation of Ukrainian children

On March 17, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Russian leader Vladimir Putin. He is suspected of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children.

On April 27, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recognized the deportation of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to Russia as genocide and welcomed the issuance of arrest warrants for Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova by the International Criminal Court.

On the same day, Vladimir Putin signed a decree allowing for the deportation of Ukrainians for refusing to accept Russian passports.

A special report presented by the OSCE on May 4 stated that Russia's forced deportation of Ukrainian children could be recognized as a crime against humanity.

On May 14, the National Resistance Center reported that in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, Russian invaders were forcibly issuing passports to children as young as 14 years old, threatening their parents. 

On May 24, the Ukrainian Prosecutor's Office reported that Ukraine was investigating the possible role of Belarus in the forced deportation of children from the temporarily occupied territories. Criminal proceedings were opened. 

On May 29, Russia amended its martial law, legalizing the deportation of residents of the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine and the holding of so-called “elections.”  

During medical examinations in the temporarily occupied territories, Russians give children fake diagnoses, and then force their parents to consent to so-called treatment or rehabilitation of their children in Russia. 

On May 30, Russian media reported on the detention of a Ukrainian woman in Moscow. The woman allegedly tried to obtain custody of two children from the temporarily occupied Henichesk.

President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, recently acquainted himself with the Bring Kids Back UA plan, aimed at facilitating the repatriation of children who were illegally deported by Russia. He also participated in the opening of the Center for the Protection of Children's Rights.

Ukraine’s Human Rights Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets says Ukraine has confirmation that the forced deportation of Ukrainian children and prisoners of war took place on the territory of Belarus with the participation of the Belarusian authorities. 

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories Iryna Vereshchuk said that Russia is changing the names and dates of birth of illegally deported children.