Mr. President,
After long experience as an Ambassador-at-Large on human rights and as appointed Permanent Representative in Geneva, I cannot but express our deep gratitude to the High Commissioner for his update and to the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission for documenting ongoing human rights violations in Ukraine due to Russia’s brutal aggression.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, at least 669 Ukrainian children have been killed, and 1,833 injured. These are not mere statistics but young lives stolen, dreams extinguished, and futures lost. Indiscriminate attacks, including artillery strikes, air raids, and missile barrages, have reduced homes, schools, and hospitals to ruins. Ukraine is now one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, endangering children for years to come.
Beyond physical harm, the psychological toll on Ukrainian children is devastating. Thousands suffer from PTSD, depression, and emotional distress due to displacement, loss of family members, and exposure to violence. Even more horrific are documented cases of sexual violence committed by Russian forces against Ukrainian children, leaving lasting physical and psychological scars.
Russia’s war has also deprived millions of Ukrainian children of their right to education. More than 1,614 educational facilities have been destroyed or severely damaged, and over 420,000 children must rely on online learning, often disrupted by attacks on critical infrastructure.
Mr. President,
High Commissioner,
One of the most outrageous crimes is the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus. Stripped of their identity, many are illegally adopted by Russians, forced to forget their language and heritage, and even given new names. This is not just a blatant violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child - it is a deliberate attempt to erase an entire generation of Ukrainians.
In occupied territories, Ukrainian children are subjected to systematic Russification. The Ukrainian language is banned from schools, replaced with Russian propaganda. Children are forced into so-called "patriotic" Russian military training, pressured to renounce their Ukrainian identity, and threatened with punishment if they resist. Parents seeking to provide Ukrainian-language education face persecution.
Russia’s atrocities continue. Just recently:
March 24: A missile attack on Sumy injured 106 people, including 23 children, and damaged 73 buildings.
March 25: A Russian strike on a playground in Donetsk killed a three-year-old girl and her mother.
The day before yesterday, in Kharkiv, 11 people were injured, including a 14-year-old girl.
This is the grim reality Ukrainian families face daily.
High Commissioner,
Distinguished Delegates,
Despite these atrocities, Ukraine remains resilient. We are committed to ensuring every child has access to education and psychological support to heal from the traumas of war. Schools are being rebuilt, and special rehabilitation programs have been launched to help children recover. We are not just reconstructing buildings, we are rebuilding lives.
The Bring Kids Back UA initiative is a national effort to locate, return, and rehabilitate children forcibly taken by Russia. Every child matters, and every child must be brought home. We urge the international community to join the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and to pressure Russia to release abducted children and reunite families torn apart by war.
We demand that Russia immediately return all Ukrainian children, cease its systematic indoctrination and forced russification, and grant international organizations unrestricted access to investigate war crimes against them.
We cannot bring back those we have lost, but we can fight for those who remain. Every child deserves to grow up in safety, to dream without fear, to live without war. Ukraine will never stop fighting for its children. Their suffering must not become another forgotten tragedy. Their voices must be heard. Justice must prevail. The aggressor must be held accountable.
I thank you.