UN 'blacklists' Russia for attacks against children

A recent report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlights the violence used by Russian forces against Ukrainian children during the war. "I am appalled by the high number of grave violations committed against children in Ukraine following the invasion by the Russian Federation," says Guterres, recalling that the figures in the report do not represent the total number of incidents, as verification depends on a number of factors, and many of these violations are still under investigation. 

The UN Secretary General highlights the "high number of attacks on schools and hospitals", as well as the high number of children killed and maimed by Russian troops and their affiliated groups. The report also denounces abductions, recruitment and sexual violence against Ukrainian children. "I urge the Russian armed forces and affiliated armed groups to take urgent steps to stop and prevent these grave violations and to demand accountability," Guterres said.

According to the report, Russian troops and their affiliated groups - such as the Wagner group or Chechen forces - killed 136 children, maimed 518 and carried out 480 attacks on schools and hospitals. 

Kremlin soldiers have also used Ukrainian children as human shields and hostages to gather intelligence. The UN has verified the detention of four children by Russian forces who were subjected to ill-treatment or torture. 

Also, as in all conflicts, women and girls are exposed to sexual violence. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, numerous NGOs have reported rapes by Russian soldiers against Ukrainian women in various parts of the country. The UN report also refers to this issue, confirming sexual violence by Russian troops against three girls between the ages of 4 and 17 in the Kiev and Chernihiv regions.  

Another controversial issue since the beginning of the invasion has been the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian authorities. According to Kiev, more than 16,000 children have been forcibly displaced to Russia since the beginning of the war. Moscow, for its part, has never denied the abduction of Ukrainian children, although it presents it as a humanitarian campaign to protect orphaned or abandoned children.

The UN condemns the abduction of 91 children by Russian armed forces. "One child was abducted and taken to Belarus and another was used as a hostage in an exchange of civilians and prisoners of war," the report states. Similarly, the organisation has verified the transfer of 46 children to the Russian Federation from areas of Ukraine that are or have been under Russian military control. Among them are children forcibly separated from their parents, taken from schools and institutions without the consent of their guardians and one child who was granted Russian citizenship.