A Ukrainian soldier carries a child as residents evacuate the city of Irpin
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has caused the death of 262 children since late February, according to the latest Unicef figures.
At least 415 children have been injured during the conflict with 5.2 million children left in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the charity warned.
Almost two out of every three children in Ukraine have been displaced by fighting since the beginning of the Russian invasion, with Mr Putin’s forces accused of indiscriminately shelling civilian homes and infrastructure.
An average of two children are killed and four injured every day during the conflict, according to reports verified by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). The majority have been injured in attacks using explosives on populated areas.
Unicef said that some 256 health facilities and one in six “Safe Schools” supported by the charity had been damaged in the country’s east, where intense fighting continues between Russian and Ukrainian forces.
“June 1st is International Day for the Protection of Children in Ukraine and across the region,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Instead of celebrating the occasion, we are solemnly approaching June 3 – the 100th day of a war that has shattered the lives of millions of children.
“Without an urgent ceasefire and negotiated peace, children will continue to suffer – and fallout from the war will impact vulnerable children around the world.”
Luhansk’s regional governor, Serhiy Gaidai, said nearly all critical infrastructure in Sievierodonetsk had been destroyed and 60 per cent of residential property damaged beyond repair.
“Most of Sievierodonetsk is under the control of the Russians. The town is not surrounded and the prerequisites for it to be are not in place,” Mr Gaidai said.
