Russia's war on teenagers and children in Ukraine

President Vladimir Putin continues to send large-scale drone and missile attacks into Ukraine. The attacks have destroyed facilities that hold several children.

In a statement to the OSCE, Ambassador Neil Holland, declared: "Russia has unleashed a ruthless bombardment of missile attacks which have damaged and destroyed schools, hospitals, and residential buildings."

The United Nations Children's Fund report states that more than 500 children have been killed at the hands of Russia's unrelenting brutality against Ukraine. Just last week, Russia's attack on a clinic in Dnipro killed four people and left 32 severely injured – including two children under seven years old.

The Ukrainian Air Defence has continued to intercept most of Russia's drone and missile attacks, but in May alone there were 1,120 air raid sirens recorded across the country. To shelter from the drone attacks that are unable to be intercepted by the Ukrainian Air Defence, families have been forced to sleep in bunkers.

On International Day of the Protection of Children, Ambassador Neil Holland, empathetically recalled that the Ukrainian families are "go[ing] to bed not knowing whether they will even wake up the next day".

"The children living in temporarily Russian-controlled territories also continue to suffer under repressive regimes," he added.

In his statement, Ambassador Neil Holland also highlighted the case of Tihran Ohannisian and Mykyta Khanhanov. The teenagers, aged 16 and 17, were arrested in September 2022, for allegedly planning to sabotage railways that assist with supplying the Russian Army with weapons.

The two teenagers were charged by the Russian Federation last week.

In his statement, Neil Holland revealed: "On 30 September 2022, Russian authorities forcefully took Tihran from his home. For five days, Tihran was interrogated brutally."

"Mykyta was subjected to similar mistreatment," he added.

After searching for Tihran for five days, his family found him "beaten and tortured with electric shocks. All to induce a confession."

The Russian authorities appointed two lawyers to represent the boys. From which, Tihran and Mykyta received no legal support. The Russian Federation charges mean that both teenagers will face 10 to 20 years in prison.

"The UK calls on Russia to cease its persecution of Ukrainian children, including Tihran and Mykyta," Ambassador Neil Holland declared.

The most recent Moscow Mechanism Report clearly states that Ukrainian children are also victims of forced deportation by Russian authorities. Reports show that the children have been placed with "foster families", despite them having parents/legal guardians in Ukraine.

There are also children who have been "adopted" by families in Russia. Those "adopted" have reportedly received Russian nationality and passports.

Ambassador Neil Holland claimed: "These children are exposed to the deep trauma of being separated from their parents."

Ukrainian officials have also estimated that more than 14,000 children, between four months to 17 years from Ukraine have been sent to learning camps in Russia. The recorded number includes hundreds of children whose status is unknown.

Parents of the children have reported that they were denied the ability to retrieve or contact their children by Russian authorities.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State, called that: "Russia's vast program to take Ukraine's children from their families or legal guardians, relocate them across borders, and "re-educate" them to be pro-Russia... are unconscionable and must stop."

The children are forced to let go of their Ukrainian identity while being ushered into a Russia-centric re-education. Ambassador Neil Holland called the action a, "despicable and systematic attempt to erase Ukraine's future".

Some of the children are also being given military training.

Finishing his statement to the OSCE, Holland claimed: "Each day that Russia chooses to press on with its illegal and unprovoked invasion, Ukrainian children suffer."

Neil Holland concluded: "The UK will continue to support Ukraine to ensure those responsible will face justice."