On June 5, cardinal Matteo Zuppi arrived in Ukraine on the instructions of the Pope. The visit took place within the framework of the "peace plan" of the Vatican. At the same time, the Ukrainian side talked about the situation in the country and the biggest crime of the Russian Federation against Ukraine – crimes against children. The guest was presented with official evidence and documents testifying to the crimes committed by Russian soldiers against underage children from a neighbouring country. According to the prosecutor general of Ukraine, Kremlin troops killed 487 children in Ukraine. According to UNICEF, more than 500 children had died in 467 days at the hands of the occupying forces, and unofficial data suggested that the number of child deaths was 3 times higher.
Therefore, for Ukraine, the issue of child protection is very acute. The ombudsman of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets, told the cardinal that all children, even those who went to other countries, were forever marked by war.
The most difficult are the children Russian soldiers take from occupied villages and cities. He noted that the exact number of abducted children was unknown but was over 20.000. The government was working on the return of Ukrainian children to their families. It is also noted that to solve all crimes against children and punish the perpetrators; the Ukrainian army must return to its territories – it is impossible to obtain information from the occupied territories. This means Kyiv rejects any "peace plan" to cede territory to the Russian aggressor. If the enemy feels concessions, it will not stop violating the rights of people, including children, and the borders of foreign countries. If the enemy sees that the world is ready to make concessions, it will not stop violating the rights of people, including children, and foreign borders.
"Ukraine should liberate its entire territory because it is the only mechanism to protect children," Lubinets summed up.
