By Destroying Universities, Schools, and Kindergartens, Russia Is Systematically Targeting Ukrainian Children

Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine has had a severe impact on children and educational institutions. Incidents such as airstrikes on universities and schools have resulted in significant damage to infrastructure and profound humanitarian consequences. From targeted attacks on educational facilities in Ivano-Frankivsk and Kharkiv to reports of children critically injured and educational systems forcibly altered under occupation, the crisis underscores broader violations of international law and human rights.

Recent incidents include an airstrike on the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas, which damaged 14 buildings overnight on Saturday, June 22, 2024. Preliminary assessments indicate that Russian missiles damaged 14 buildings of the educational institution, along with 815 windows, 25 entrance doors, and approximately 1,160 square meters of roofing. Also on that day, as a result of the Russian attack, a kindergarten was damaged: the windows there were blown out. No casualties were reported.

Further, a recent Russian airstrike on a school in Kharkiv resulted in three children in critical condition as of Thursday, May 9, with one girl discharged for outpatient treatment. The day before, seven people were injured due to shelling, including four children.

The airstrike on Kharkiv on June 22 coincided with a graduation ceremony held in bomb shelters. Mayor of Kharkiv Ihor Terekhov, who was present at the scene, commented on the situation: “Our children were receiving gold medals and diplomas for completing secondary education. They had joy on their faces. When the children learned about the attack, their smiles turned into tears.”

In temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, crimes against children’s education persist, a recent Human Rights Watch report indicates. Russian occupation authorities are aggressively imposing their curriculum and suppressing Ukrainian education. This includes coercive measures against school staff and parents, such as threats, detention, and torture. The Russian curriculum not only undermines Ukrainian cultural identity and language but also promotes Kremlin propaganda, depicting Ukraine negatively and glorifying Russia’s actions. Human Rights Watch also found that occupying authorities threatened parents whose children were learning the Ukrainian curriculum online. These actions violate international law and human rights standards, which mandate respect for existing educational systems in occupied territories. Despite these challenges, efforts are ongoing to maintain Ukrainian education remotely, supported by Ukrainian authorities and international partners, aiming to safeguard children’s right to education amidst the war and occupation.

Since the onset of Russia's invasion, Russian occupational authorities have facilitated the forceful deportation of Ukrainian children, with re-education being a crucial element of this policy. The claim by Russian officials that they have “saved” 700,000 Ukrainian children by relocating them to Russia over recent years has sparked outrage and disbelief in Ukraine and internationally. Ukrainian authorities assert that nearly 19,500 children have been specifically identified as forcibly deported to Russian territory, but the actual number of abducted children is likely much higher. This action, condemned as illegal under international law, has led to criminal charges against Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court, with an international arrest warrant issued.

According to official information from UNICEF, approximately 600 Ukrainian children have died as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with at least 1,919 children injured. The Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine notes that the highest number of casualties among children occurred in the Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Kherson regions. Recent Russian airstrikes have highlighted deliberate crimes against Ukraine’s younger generation.