STORY
Russia’s ongoing illegal war in Ukraine continues to inflict a devastating toll on children, with mounting evidence of grave violations, according to a recent statement by Deputy Ambassador James Ford to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The UK has strongly condemned these actions, calling for accountability and an immediate end to the conflict.
The statement, delivered on 9 July 2025, highlighted that more grave violations against children were verified by the UN in 2024 than ever before, with instances of sexual violence against children increasing by 35% compared to the previous year. Russian armed forces and authorities are accused of committing at least five of the “Six Grave Violations” defined by UN Security Council Resolution 1261, including the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals.
A stark example cited was the attack on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital in Kyiv, struck by a Russian KH-101 cruise missile exactly one year prior to the statement. This facility was Ukraine’s largest children’s medical provider. UNICEF reports indicate that the war has killed or injured over 2,406 children, averaging sixteen child casualties per week. Between March 1 and May 31 2025 alone, 222 children were killed or injured, a threefold increase from the previous quarter. April 2025 saw the highest monthly number of child casualties since June 2022, with 97 children killed or maimed.
Beyond physical harm, Ukrainian children face systematic efforts to erase their identity. The Ukrainian government estimates that nearly 20,000 children have been forcibly deported to Russia and temporarily occupied territories. UN reports detail forced introduction of Russian language curricula and “military-patriotic” training in schools, alongside coerced Russian citizenship. Save the Children estimates that 576 education facilities were destroyed or damaged in 2024, more than double the number from the year before. Children fleeing the conflict are also at significant risk of family separation, abuse, violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking, leading to profound and lasting psychological trauma.
Despite Moscow’s campaign of denial and disinformation, these abuses have been verified by independent sources, including the UN, ODIHR and reports commissioned under the OSCE’s Moscow Mechanism. The UK welcomed the OSCE’s efforts to hold Russia accountable and support Ukraine, urging Russia to cease its unprovoked, illegal war and immediately and unconditionally return all forcibly deported children to Ukraine.