Themes by tag: children
In 2022, the Oskil school in the Kharkiv region endured six months under occupation by russian forces, resulting in significant damage. The school’s premises were heavily affected: the roof was compromised, windows shattered, and even the heating systems were ripped out.
Today, the school is in the process of being restored. Some classrooms and shelters have already been rebuilt, providing much-needed stability. Additionally, Save the Children has established a digital space within the school, offering a safe environment for children to learn, socialize, and regain a sense of security.
For reference: As part of the national initiative “Shoulder to Shoulder: Cohesive Communities,” the Oskil and Chernihiv communities are planning to collaborate with partner communities to further strengthen their bonds.
On April 3, the Media Center Ukraine will host the presentation of the analytical report: “The russian federation’s Policy on the Eradication of Children’s Identity in the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine: 2024 Overview”
Participants:
– Anastasiia Vorobiova, Report Author, Contributing Expert with the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO, and Research Assistant at the Institute of Law Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences;
– Mariia Sulialina, Head of the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO;
– Valentina Potapova, Head of the Direction of National Advocacy at the Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO.
Key topics:
– An analysis of changes in russian federal legislation throughout 2024, highlighting trends in russification, militarization, and the indoctrination of Ukrainian children and youth;
– Comparative statistics: Evaluation of 2024 data juxtaposed with figures from previous years to illustrate evolving patterns;
– Examination of recurring infringements already shaping plans and activities scheduled for 2025;
– Key measures aimed at protecting the rights of children from occupied territories.
Background: For more than 11 years, russia has pursued a systematic effort to erode Ukrainian identity among children and youth in occupied territories, employing methods of political indoctrination, militarization, and heightened pressure within both formal and informal education systems. Notably, the number of cadet classes in Crimea surged from 197 to 260 within the past year alone.
The Center of Civil Education Almenda NGO conducts comprehensive monitoring of children’s rights across occupied territories. Drawing on data gathered throughout 2024, Almenda’s analytical report offers a detailed assessment of key trends, legislative changes, patterns of violations, and the international community’s response.
The Olympic Reserve Sports School in Chernihiv, although damaged during the occupation, continues to operate today: about 200 students train here, and athletes compete in World Cups and European Championships.
The ski base was destroyed by the russians during the beginning of the full-scale invasion in March 2022. Despite the destruction, children’s biathlon training resumed at the base in May 2022. They practiced on a small section of the course that survived. The trainees were also warned not to stray from the training area, as there were concerns that unexploded ordnance might remain on the ski base grounds.
Currently, the ski track and shooting range have been restored, but the facilities remain in ruins.
Background: By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces had completely liberated the Chernihiv oblast.
The Specialized Olympic Reserve Sports School for Children and Youth (ski base) was established in 1977 and later expanded. Before the outbreak of the full-scale war, biathletes and skiers trained at the base, and Ukrainian championships were held there.
As part of the national project “Shoulder to Shoulder: United Communities,” plans are being developed for cooperation with the partner municipalities of Oskil and Chernihiv.
On March 28, Media Center Ukraine will host a briefing titled “The return of Ukrainian children abducted by russia as a step toward peace: How the International community can accelerate the process”
Participants:
– Kateryna Rashevska, PhD in International Law, Expert at the Regional Center for Human Rights.
Key topics:
– How can peace negotiations influence the process of returning abducted children?
– The current status of efforts to return Ukrainian children abducted by russia: statistics and progress;
– How has the process of returning children changed recently?
– Who is currently involved in the return of Ukrainian children from russia and how?
Why is this important?
The return of Ukrainian children illegally abducted to russian territory has become a pressing international issue and one of the key elements in the peace talks. Recently, U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz stated that Washington considers the return of deported Ukrainian children by russia as a potential confidence-building measure.
The only pediatric burn center in western Ukraine that accepts the most critical cases will now be able to treat children at home – in Ukraine – instead of sending them abroad, as was previously the case. St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv now has everything it needs to save young patients with severe burns. The grand opening of the updated pediatric burn center will take place on March 28.
Approximately 12,000 children in Ukraine suffer from burns every year. The war has exacerbated the situation, as any mine or explosion injury is often accompanied by severe thermal trauma.
St. Nicholas Hospital is now fully equipped to care for pediatric burn patients, with advanced and expensive intensive care equipment, a specialized burn bed, a dedicated treatment room, and a laser for post-burn scar resurfacing.
Patients will attend the opening, including Robert, a fifth-grader who tried to replicate a popular TikTok trend by making a homemade firecracker. As a result, he suffered severe chemical burns to his face.
At the opening, members of the media will have the opportunity to speak with Robert and other children who have suffered burns in a variety of circumstances – as well as their parents, doctors, and representatives from socially responsible companies. Prior to the official opening, journalists will also have the opportunity to attend a training session led by the hospital’s burn surgeons for Lviv schoolchildren. The training will teach first aid for burns and raise awareness about the dangers of TikTok trends.
Registration is required for the event.
Viktoriia Didovets, a charge nurse in the Intensive and Efferent Therapy Department for Acute Intoxication at the National Children’s Hospital Okhmatdyt, was injured during a missile strike on the hospital on July 8, 2024. As the attack unfolded, she was evacuating children on dialysis to a shelter when a missile struck the building.
By the time Viktoriia was rushed to the operating room, her pulse was barely detectable. She was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis, an open hip fracture, a ruptured liver, and injuries to her face and ear. For more than eight months, she has been undergoing treatment, determined to regain a full life.
By prior arrangement, Viktoriia is available for interviews in Kyiv or online.
Background: On July 8, 2024, a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile struck Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital. At the time of the attack, 627 children were inside.
The strike killed two people—a doctor and a patient’s relative—while injuring 35 others, including nine children. On July 10, a boy who had been in critical condition in intensive care at the time of the attack succumbed to his injuries in a Kyiv hospital.
On March 19, FRIDA Ukraine will lead a one-day medical mission to an orphanage in Tarascha, Kyiv Oblast—their second visit to the facility. The orphanage houses approximately 70 school-age children, some of whom have parents deprived of parental rights, while others have medical conditions such as autism or Down syndrome.
The volunteer medical team includes specialists in pediatrics, dermatovenerology, pediatric neurology, ophthalmology, pediatric endocrinology, ultrasound diagnostics, surgery/urology, psychology, and otolaryngology.
Photo and Video Guidelines: Close-up images of children’s faces are strictly prohibited in photo and video materials. Only general shots or images capturing children from behind or in profile are permitted.
Background: FRIDA Ukraine is a Ukrainian-Israeli medical volunteer mission dedicated to assisting civilians. Its volunteer doctors provide specialized medical care to Ukrainians affected by the war.
On March 16, Ukraine will hold an annual event to honor the victims of the Mariupol Drama Theater tragedy. Mariupol residents and all those who remember are invited to light candles near theater buildings across the country in a tribute to those lost.
Commemorative gatherings will take place in Vinnytsia, Zhytomyr, Dnipro, Zaporizhia (March 15), Ivano-Frankivsk, Kalush, Lviv, Kyiv, Kamianske, Kremenchuk, Rivne, Ternopil, Uzhhorod, Khmelnytskyi, Cherkasy, Chernivtsi, Kropyvnytskyi, Poltava, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa.
Background: On March 16, 2022, russian forces dropped bombs on the Mariupol Drama Theater, despite the russian word for “children,” “ДЕТИ”(DETY), written in large, clearly visible white letters on the pavement outside the building. At the time, hundreds of Mariupol families were sheltering there, seeking refuge from relentless russian shelling. The attack claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians, including children.
The Mariupol Drama Theater has since become a harrowing symbol—of brutality and destruction, of Mariupol’s suffering, of Ukraine’s pain. It remains an enduring testament to a russian war crime the world must never forget.
Sarah, a U.S. citizen, has been living and working in Kyiv for the past year and a half. She joined the Voices of Children Charitable Foundation, which assists war-affected children. Sarah mainly focuses on humanitarian issues.
Sarah first visited Ukraine as a teenager, both as a tourist and as a humanitarian worker. During the full-scale war in 2022, she volunteered for two months across Ukraine, providing aid on the ground. After earning her university degree in 2023, she returned and chose to settle in Kyiv. She finds inspiration in exploring new cities, especially near the front lines, where she feels life’s meaning most deeply.
Journalists can meet and speak with Sarah in Kyiv by prior arrangement.
On February 26, the premiere of a film created by 14 teenagers during the “Storytelling in Cinema” course of the Voices of Children Foundation and Ukrainian director Marysia Nikitiuk will take place in Kyiv.
The event will also include a discussion on “Growing up in war: how to help children cope with this difficult experience” with the participation of the children who worked on the movie, the director Marysia Nikitiuk, Olena Rozvadovska, co-founder of the Voices of Children Foundation and human rights activist, Olha Aivazovska, Chairperson of the Board of the Civil Network OPORA, and Oleksandra Matviichuk, Head of the Center for Civil Rights and Nobel Laureate.
The film “Generation” was created by young people from all over Ukraine who have experienced the hardships of war: evacuation, forced displacement within Ukraine and abroad, finding themselves in a new place, losing social ties, living under occupation, and surviving in frontline regions.
As part of Voices of Children’s “Storytelling in Cinema” project, director Marysia Nikitiuk and psychologist Dariia Parshyntseva met with the teens for five months to develop scripts. The course culminated in seven days of filmmaking in the mountains, where the young participants brought their stories to life.
Registration required
Background: Voices of Children Foundation provides psychological, psychosocial and humanitarian support to children and families affected by war. The Foundation helps children cope with the psychological effects of armed conflict and advocates for their rights.
The International Center for Ukrainian Victory (ICUV) is a public diplomacy platform founded in Warsaw by Ukrainian civil society activists to engage global thought leaders in support of Ukraine. The Center’s mission is to mobilize the world for Ukraine’s victory.
