Ukraine investigating around 4,000 cases of Russian war crimes against children – Ukraine’s Prosecutor General

Law enforcement officers are currently investigating around 4,000 criminal cases of war crimes against Ukrainian children committed by Russians.

This was stated by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Andrii Kostin during the Fourth Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen, Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"Currently, Ukrainian authorities are investigating about 4,000 criminal proceedings regarding the commission of war crimes against Ukrainian children,” the Prosecutor General said, adding: “We have already presented reports of suspicion to 54 persons, the pre-trial investigations of 44 persons have been completed and the cases have been taken to court. Also, we already have 31 verdicts against Russian war criminals for crimes against Ukrainian children.”

According to the Prosecutor General, Ukrainian law enforcement officers, as part of investigation into the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, reported the suspicion to seven persons, including two deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation.

Also, while investigating the abduction of Ukrainian children, the Ukrainian investigators cooperates with the International Criminal Court on a daily basis.

Andrii Kostin emphasized that Russia committed all types of violations of humanitarian law against children in Ukraine – murder, mutilation, rape and other forms of sexual violence, kidnapping and deportation. Russians also resorted to recruiting and using children in the war. Ukrainian schools and hospitals were targeted by Russians; besides, Ukrainian children were denied access to humanitarian aid.

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The Prosecutor General recalled that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russia has killed 575 children in Ukraine, while 1,600 children have been injured. In addition, 3,500 educational institutions were destroyed and damaged, and more than 19,500 children were forcibly deported to the Russian Federation.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, in March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.