Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for pressure on Russian Federation to return deported children to Ukraine
On June 4, Ukraine honors the memory of children who died as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls for pressure on the Russian Federation to immediately return all illegally deported Ukrainian children.
This is reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to the latest UNICEF estimates, more than 473 million children - more than one-sixth of the world's children - are currently living in conflict zones and are among the most vulnerable groups in any conflict.
"The suffering of children as a result of the criminal and unprovoked full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is indescribable. Russia systematically and grossly violates international humanitarian law by carrying out armed attacks on civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions, hospitals and residential buildings.
As a result of Russia's crimes, at least 631 Ukrainian children have been killed, 1971 have been wounded, and 2244 are missing. Russia has deported or forcibly displaced 19546 Ukrainian children," the Foreign Ministry reminds.
It is also noted that thousands of Ukrainian children have been left without parents, have lost their homes, access to education, and the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment.
More than 1.6 million children live in the temporarily occupied territories and are subject to intensified and systematic propaganda, militarization, and forced Russification by the occupation authorities.
"All these actions constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the IV Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, and are qualified as war crimes, and in some cases may contain signs of genocide," the Foreign Ministry emphasizes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to continue pressure on the Russian Federation to immediately return all illegally deported Ukrainian children; to ensure effective legal accountability of those involved in these crimes, including the highest political and military leadership of Russia; to increase support for Ukraine's efforts to identify, return and reintegrate Ukrainian children affected by the war; to increase humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian children who have lost their parents, housing or
