On June 4, Ukraine commemorates the children who died as a result of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.

According to the latest UNICEF estimates, more than 473 million children - more than one sixth of the world's children - live in conflict zones today and are among the most vulnerable groups in any conflict.

The suffering of children as a result of the criminal and unprovoked full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine is unspeakable. Russia systematically and grossly violates international humanitarian law by carrying out armed attacks on civilian infrastructure, including educational institutions, hospitals and residential buildings.

As a result of the crimes of the Russian Federation, at least 631 Ukrainian children have been killed, 1,971 have been injured, and 2,244 have gone missing. 19,546 Ukrainian children have been deported or forcibly displaced by Russia.

Thousands of Ukrainian children have lost their parents, have lost their homes, access to education and the opportunity to grow up in a safe environment.

More than 1.6 million children live in the temporarily occupied territories where they face systematic propaganda, militarization, and forced russification.

All these actions constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, in particular the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war, and are qualified as war crimes, and in some cases may contain elements of the crime of genocide.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls on the international community to continue pressure on the Russian Federation to immediately return all illegally deported Ukrainian children; to ensure effective legal accountability of those involved in these crimes, including the top political and military leadership of Russia; to strengthen support for Ukraine’s efforts aimed at the identification, return and reintegration of Ukrainian children affected by the war; to increase humanitarian assistance to Ukrainian children who have lost their parents, homes or the opportunity to study in a safe environment.

Children are the future of Ukraine. Our moral duty is to do everything possible to protect their rights, return their lost childhood and ensure fair punishment for those who committed crimes against them.

On this day, Ukraine confirms its commitment to the principles and norms of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as other international legal documents in the field of child rights protection.

Ukraine expresses deep gratitude to all international partners, organizations and governments that provide assistance to Ukrainian children during this extremely difficult period for our country. Through joint efforts, we must restore justice and protect those who need our support most - our children.