Activists have lined up 109 empty prams in the centre of Lviv to represent the Ukrainian children killed during Russia’s war.
Images of the striking memorial posted on social media show the pushchairs and baby-carriers arranged in Rynok Square, in the centre of Ukraine’s western city of Lviv.
Ukrainian congresswoman Sasha Ustinova said on Twitter: “These children wanted to live, instead they are in graves. Some kids are being buried in mass graves.”
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office, 109 children have been killed and 130 injured since Vladimir Putin commanded his troops to invade Ukraine on 24 February.
The UN reported on Friday that at least 816 civilians had been killed and 1,333 injured, although the true number is estimated to be far higher.
Speaking at Rynok Square, Lviv mayor Andriy Sadovyi said: “What we have today resembles World War Two. But smartphones have made it far easier to see everything happening.”
He called on Ukraine’s allies in Nato to impose a no-fly zone over Russia, saying: “This is the result of not closing the skies.”
Ukrainian leaders have repeatedly demanded a no-fly zone, but the west has refused the request over fears that this would lead to a wider war in Europe.
Earlier on Friday, Russian missiles struck an aircraft repair plant in Lviv near the civilian airport - the first major attack unleashed on the city.
Lviv has been considered to be safer than other main cities in Ukraine as it is far west, close to Poland, while Russian troops have largely attacked in the north and east.
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015.
Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered.
To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
