Significant Increase in Child Casualties in Ukraine, Reports UNICEF
The United Nations Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has released alarming updated figures indicating a significant rise in child casualties, alongside increasing risks for children blending online influences with life-threatening offline consequences. The data pertains to the period from March 1 to May 31, 2025, revealing that 222 children were either killed or injured during this timeframe, which is three times more than the previous quarter’s total of 73 cases. April alone saw a record 97 child casualties, marking the highest monthly figure since June 2022, reports 24brussels.
The destruction and damage to healthcare facilities, educational infrastructure, as well as water and electricity supplies, alongside the loss of safe recreational spaces, are crucial factors impacting children’s lives today and in the future. Ongoing intense combat in the northeastern and eastern regions is leading to waves of internal displacement and escalating humanitarian needs, including cash assistance, essential items, and support for mental health and psychosocial needs.
Moreover, new threats to children’s safety have emerged, as modern warfare combines online risks with grave offline consequences. Children are reportedly exploited via online influences to engage in activities in Ukraine such as attacks on military targets, sabotage, or information gathering, raising serious concerns about their safety and wellbeing.
Reports indicate that teenagers are being used as operatives for sabotage or reconnaissance under the influence of online channels. According to the UN mission, at least two boys have died as a result of such actions, while one was injured. Ukrainian law enforcement has reported 103 detained minors, comprising 91 boys and 12 girls, with at least seven presently held in custody.
“The war against children across Ukraine shows no respite,” stated Regina De Dominicis, Regional Director of UNICEF for Europe and Central Asia. She emphasized that the situation has reached a critical point where every aspect of childhood is under threat—from safety and health to education and psychological well-being.
UNICEF has reiterated that children involved in armed conflict should be viewed as victims rather than offenders. The organization calls on authorities to ensure access to child-centric legal processes and to rehabilitation and social support programs.
In related remarks, Ella Libanova, director of the Ptukh Institute of Demography and Social Studies, noted that each month of war results in new demographic losses for Ukraine. She believes that the end of the war could prompt a new wave of emigration, as families currently attempt to relocate children from dangerous regions abroad. It remains uncertain whether these children will return to Ukraine in the future.
