1. Russian abductions of Ukrainian children

 

• It is estimated that since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Russia has abducted around 20 thousand Ukrainian children. These figures may be understated, as no reliable statistics are available. Human rights activists have consistently called for the release of the children kidnapped to Russia.
• In Russia and Russian-occupied territories, there are at least a few dozen camps and other detention facilities for minors.
• Russia is also holding over 14 thousand adult civilians from Ukraine.

 

2. Child victims of Russia’s war in Ukraine

 

• In Ukraine, at least 16 children are killed or wounded in warfare every week. The three years of war have seen more than 2,500 children killed or wounded.
• Over 5.1 million children have had to flee their homes. In total, as many as 3.7 million people are still internally displaced within Ukraine, while 6.86 million have left the country, mainly for Europe (6.3 million).
• More than 1,600 schools have been damaged or destroyed in Ukraine over the past three years. Because of that, as many as 40 percent of children don’t have access to a nursery school and 40 percent of schoolchildren can only attend remote classes or combine on-site and distance learning.

 

3. Russian strikes on Ukrainian hospitals, including paediatric and obstetric units

 

• Almost 800 Ukrainian health facilities have been damaged in Russian attacks over the past three years.
• On 9 March 2022, Russia carried out an airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol. Multiple aerial bombs dropped on the hospital wounded more than 17 people and left many more, including children, trapped under debris.
• On 29 December 2023, the Russian military launched a massive wave of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine. Residential buildings, a school, a post office, warehouses, industrial facilities, a transport depot, offices, and—partially—a medical facility were all destroyed in Kharkiv. In Dnipro, a fire broke out at a shopping centre and in one of the city’s maternity hospitals.
• On 8 July 2024, the Russians attacked a children’s hospital in Kyiv— one of the most important medical facilities for children in the country.
• On 11 July 2025, a maternity hospital in Kharkiv was hit in one of the overnight strikes, leaving nine people injured, including newborn children and their mothers.

 

 

4. Russian crimes in Ukraine

 

• The Bucha massacre, February–April 2022: in April 2022, the Ukrainian Armed Forces regained control over the area located northwest of Kyiv, including Bucha, Hostomel, Irpin, and Vorzel. For about a month, these territories were occupied by Russian units, which committed a series of crimes against the civilian population during that time. Hundreds of locals were tortured and murdered. Bucha, where some of the victims were buried in mass graves, became emblematic of those events.
• The town of Borodianka was heavily bombed by Russia, leaving a few dozen civilians dead.
• The Sumy missile strike in which cluster munitions were used was launched by the Russian troops on 13 April 2025 as part of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, killing at least 34 people, and wounding 117 more.

 

5. Examples of statements by Russian public figures bearing the hallmarks of hate speech, war propaganda, and dehumanisation

 

• Alexey Zhuravlev, deputy chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on Defence, has issued various direct threats against Poland:
  • “Of all European capitals, Warsaw is the closest to us, and Iskander missiles launched from Belarus will reach you if need be.”
  • In August 2022, he yelled “we will kill you all!” at German journalists. “The Poles have quieted down a bit; perhaps they’ve gathered that they are next” (2024).
• Vladimir Solovyov, the Kremlin’s chief propagandist, threatens Poland with destruction on a regular basis:
  • “We'll destroy all Polish cities, without using ground troops.” “And we won't even think twice.”
  • He suggested that Moscow should drop an atomic bomb on Poland “just in case.”
• Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, made the following threat during her weekly press briefing on 21 November 2024:
  • “The missile defence base in Poland has long been designated as a priority target for potential engagement, which, if necessary, can be addressed with an extensive array of the latest armaments.”
• Pavel Astakhov, former Children's Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, said on Russia’s national TV:
  • “Last year, when Andreev was doused … I was waiting to see if the Polish ambassador would be found floating in the Moskva River. Let me explain why I’m mentioning that. It would be a form of retaliation for unfriendly gestures, which is allowed under international law.”
• Dmitry Medvedev, former president and prime minister of Russia:
  • “Given that the Polish leadership is a gathering of patented degenerates, requesting the presence of nuclear weapons in the country only amounts to one thing: such weapons will be used. At last, to the delight of all these lunatics (even bearing in mind that the final decision belongs to the half-wits across the pond). All ‘dudas’, ‘morawieckis’, ‘kaczynskis’ and other scum will disappear. So will others, unfortunately.” (July 2023)
  • “Warsaw will not be left out and will certainly get its share of radioactive ash.”

“The retired fool should rather keep in mind Poland’s endless partitions and beware not to wake up the beast. After all, Warsaw was once part of the Russian Empire. Have you missed us?” (May 2024)