684 children have died in Ukraine during full-scale war – Zelenska
Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion, 684 children have died in Ukraine, and another 2,000 have been injured.
This was stated by the First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska, during an online speech at a special debate of the European Economic and Social Committee, according to Censor.NET.
Children — victims of war
"Four years of struggle for life. Four years is a long time even for an adult. But for millions of Ukrainian children, it is almost an entire childhood. The worst part is that for 684 of our children, this is a severed childhood. They died. Over 2,000 children have been wounded during these years," the First Lady noted.
Zelenska emphasized that even children's hospitals are not safe places today because Russia uses them as targets.
According to her, Russia has already damaged more than 800 medical facilities in Ukraine.
Abduction of children by Russia
The First Lady noted that children abducted by Russia are also in a difficult situation. Some of them have been returned home thanks to the efforts of Ukraine and partners around the world. She thanked European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for the initiative to hold an international summit in Brussels for the return of Ukrainian children.
"We strongly count on the effectiveness of this work, as the majority of abducted children are still in Russia," Zelenska added.
Protection of Ukrainian children
Zelenska also spoke about what the state is doing to protect Ukrainian children:
- building underground schools and shelters;
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continuing the reform of school nutrition;
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developing psychological assistance within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program.
