The Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office announced on Thursday that 535 children have been killed and 1,255 others injured since the beginning of the Russian military operation in Ukraine. According to a statement by the office, reported by the Ukrainian news agency “Ukrinform,” over 1,790 children in Ukraine have been affected by the Russian military operation, with 535 killed and more than 1,255 suffering from various degrees of injuries. The statement noted that the highest numbers of casualties and injuries among children were in the Donetsk region with 524 cases, followed by Kharkiv with 338 cases, Kyiv with 130 cases, and Kherson with 149 cases. The Prosecutor General’s Office emphasized that these numbers are not final, as efforts are ongoing to verify data from conflict zones and territories under Russian control.
In a separate incident, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod region, Vyacheslav Gladkov, announced on Thursday that one person was killed and four others injured due to a Ukrainian attack on the region. Gladkov mentioned that the Russian air defense forces shot down eight aerial targets near the city, and the Russian Defense Ministry reported the downing of eight Ukrainian missiles, as stated by the Russian news agency “TASS.” Gladkov added that the air defenses intercepted eight aerial targets in the skies of Belgorod, resulting in the death of a passenger car driver and injuries to two women and a man who required emergency medical assistance. Ambulances were dispatched to the site, and the attack caused damage to two houses, the roof, and the upper floors of a health facility, in addition to a passenger car.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia escalated significantly on February 24, 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a comprehensive invasion of Ukraine, targeting military assets and cities across the nation. Putin’s stated objectives were to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine and to halt what he claimed was the genocide of Russians within Ukrainian borders. The international community, led by U.S. President Joe Biden, condemned the attack as unprovoked and unjustified, leading to severe sanctions against Russia. The United Nations General Assembly saw an overwhelming majority of member states vote to denounce Russia’s actions, demanding an immediate withdrawal from Ukraine .
The conflict’s roots trace back to Ukraine’s complex history and its aspirations to align more closely with Western institutions like the EU and NATO, amidst deep internal divisions. The situation escalated in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in the Donbas region, marking the deadliest European conflict since the Balkan Wars. This period signified a shift in global security dynamics, moving away from U.S. dominance to a renewed competition among major powers.
Recent developments have seen continued hostilities, with Ukraine launching drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, marking a significant assault on Russia’s energy sector. President Putin has also indicated Russia’s readiness for nuclear conflict if the U.S. were to deploy troops to Ukraine, highlighting the potential for further escalation.
