Statement by Munir Mammadzade, UNICEF Representative to Ukraine.
“The latest in a series of attacks across Ukraine has reportedly killed three children and injured six more in the capital, Kyiv. These tragic deaths come amid reports of another child killed today in Kostyantynivka, a boy who died in Kherson following an earlier attack, and at least 16 children reportedly injured in the north, east and south of the country this week.
“The images from the site of today’s attack in Kyiv are horrific. We have also heard devastating reports from friends of the victims, gathering at the scene in utter shock.
“Seventeen-year-old Victoria told UNICEF that her friend had been walking his dog. ‘Now he’s just gone. He was just a really good person. And I want people to know that he was kind,’ she said.
“Her words illustrate the unbearable impact of these relentless strikes on civilian areas.
“Ivan, another teenager, waited at the site, clinging to hope that their friend might still be alive beneath the rubble. Tragically, he was confirmed dead early this evening.
“Ukraine’s children must be protected. What they need now is real and sustained peace.”
