The wife of Ukraine’s President Zelensky has made an emotional plea to international media to report the “terrible truth” of Russian forces killing children in their attack on Ukraine.
In five posts on Instagram, written in Ukrainian, French, German, English and Russian, Olena Zelensky shared pictures of some of the young children who had been killed so far in the war.
She claimed that at least 38 children have already died as a result of the invasion, adding: “This figure might be increasing this very moment due to the shelling of our peaceful cities.”
Ms Zelensky pleaded with the international community to recognise Russia’s crimes, saying: “When people in Russia say that their troops are not hurting the civilian population, show them these pictures!”
She appealed directly to “all the unbiased media in the world” to “tell this terrible truth”.
She added: “Tell it to Russian mothers - let them know what exactly their sons are doing here, in Ukraine. Show these photos to Russian women - your husbands, brothers, compatriots are killing Ukrainian children!”.
One of the pictures Ms Zelensky shared was of Polina from Kyiv, thought to be the first known child victim killed in the war.
Polina, who was believed to be around nine or ten years old, was shot dead with her parents by a Russian sabotage and reconnaissance group which opened fire on their family car, according to Kyiv’s deputy mayor Volodymyr Bondarenko.
Olena Zelensky also addressed Nato countries and asked them to close the sky over Ukraine.
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia on Sunday night that his country would “punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war.”
In a video address, Mr Zelensky condemned the “atrocities” committed by Russian troops, including the killing of a family of four in an attack in Irpin, a suburb of Kyiv.
“Today, a family of four, parents and two children, were killed in Irpin as they were trying to leave the city. We will not forgive. We will not forget,” he told Ukrainians, adding: “We will punish everyone who committed atrocities in this war.”
Russia was criticised this weekend after two ceasefire attempts in Mariupol fell through and civilians were targeted.
Russian state media reported on Monday morning that Moscow had proposed new ceasefire corridors to aid evacuations, however most of the corridors led to Russia or Belarus.
Only two of the four cities mentioned - Mariupol and Sumy - had evacuation routes that lead to other parts of Ukraine.
British government minister James Cleverly called Russia’s plans “cynical beyond belief”.
He added: “Providing evacuation into the arms of the country that is currently destroying yours is a nonsense.”
A spokesperson for Zelensky has branded Russia’s proposals “completely immoral”.
“These are citizens of Ukraine, they should have the right to evacuate to the territory of Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
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