The Ukrainian news agency “Ukrinform” quoted the Prosecutor General’s Office as saying in a statement, “As of today, October 9, more than 1,639 children in Ukraine have been affected by the Russian military operation,” clarifying that 506 children have been killed, and over 1,133 others have sustained various degrees of injuries.
The statement added that most of the cases of killed and injured children occurred in the Donetsk region with 489 cases, followed by Kharkiv with 303 cases, Kyiv with 129 cases, and Kherson with 129 cases.
The Prosecutor General’s Office emphasized that these numbers are not final, as efforts are ongoing to verify the data from conflict areas and the territories controlled by Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, emphasizing that Moscow has no plans to occupy Ukrainian territories but aims to disarm. In response, the United States and its allies imposed strict sanctions and increased weapon supplies to Ukraine.
In a related context, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff stated today, Monday, that the Ukrainian Air Force launched 3 strikes on groups of Russian troops and equipment in the past 24 hours.
The General Staff, in an official press release carried by the Ukrainian state news agency “Ukrinform,” stated that the Ukrainian missile forces hit 3 artillery systems, 2 radars, and two ammunition depots. It also noted that the Ukrainian forces achieved partial success in the Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
The statement further mentioned that 37 combat clashes took place yesterday between the Ukrainian and Russian armies. In total, the Russians conducted 6 air raids and fired 29 rockets at Ukrainian positions and numerous civilian targets.
In a related context, the U.S. Institute for the Study of War reported that Russian forces are planting landmines in areas previously cleared in the Zaporizhzhia war zone.
“Ukrinform” quoted the institute’s statement, indicating that Russian forces are intensifying efforts to mine previously cleared areas near the villages of Robotain and Vyrbov. They are also attempting to restrict Ukrainian forces in front-line areas further away from the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region.
The institute stated that Russian forces are now re-mining areas previously cleared along the Robotin-Vyrbov line. Additionally, they have intensified tactical offensive operations in several areas of the front, aiming to disperse Ukrainian defenses and divert Ukrainian attention.
Colonel Oleksandr Stupak, the spokesperson for the Tavriya Group of Forces, stated that the Russians are trying to fix the positions of Ukrainian forces in the directions of Avdiivka and Mariinka and prevent them from deploying reserves toward Zaporizhzhia.
The Ukrainian forces continued their counter-offensive operations near Bakhmut and made some progress in the western part of the Zaporizhzhia region during the past day.
