By John Ikani
Russia’s military and affiliated armed groups have been included in the United Nations’ “list of shame” over their involvement in the deaths and injuries of numerous children in the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in a stern rebuke on Thursday, highlighted Russia’s responsibility for the deaths of 136 children in Ukraine in 2022.
Speaking in an annual report addressing the treatment of children in conflict zones, Guterres said the UN has verified that Russian armed forces and their proxies caused injuries to 518 children, while also carrying out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals.
He added that Russian forces used 91 children as human shields.
“The high number of attacks on schools, hospitals, and protected personnel, as well as the significant casualties among children caused by Russian forces and affiliated armed groups, appall me,” stated Guterres in the report.
The report was distributed to Security Council members on Thursday and was reviewed by an AFP reporter.
According to the document, a total of 477 children lost their lives in Ukraine in 2022, with 136 deaths attributed to Russian forces and affiliated groups, and 80 to Ukrainian armed forces.
The report further highlighted that 909 children suffered severe injuries, with 518 being victims of Russian forces and proxy groups, and 175 harmed by Ukrainian forces.
The report is expected to be made available to the public next week. Human Rights Watch welcomed the UN’s decision to publicly hold Russia accountable for its actions.
“By including Russia’s forces in the ‘list of shame,’ the Secretary-General is sending a powerful message, holding them responsible for heinous violations against children,” stated Jo Becker, the advocacy director for children’s rights at Human Rights Watch.
She further emphasized, “The loss of hundreds of Ukrainian children in what appears to be indiscriminate Russian attacks on residential buildings and other civilian structures is absolutely tragic.”
Despite these damning findings, Russia has vehemently denied allegations of deliberately targeting civilians ever since its invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
