Dead, wounded, deported: an assessment of child casualties resulting from Russian aggression
Source: Slovo i Dilo
In the fourth year of full-scale war, Ukraine is marking Children’s Day for the first time on a new date—November 20 (World Children’s Day). According to official figures alone, the war has claimed the lives of more than 600 young Ukrainians, and thousands of children have been injured. The abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia and their illegal deportation has been a source of particular pain. And although Ukraine is working to bring the children home and raises this issue in nearly all international forums, so far only about 2,000 of the nearly 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children have been returned. “Slovo i Dilo” publishes data on how many Ukrainian children were affected by Russian aggression from 2014 to 2021, as well as how many children were affected during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine from 2022 to 2025.
See the infographic from “Slovo i Dilo” to find out how many Ukrainian children were harmed, killed, or deported to Russia during the years of Russian aggression.
Abduction and Murder of Ukrainian Children by Russia — Slovo i Dilo — Full-size image (opens in a new window)
According to data from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, prior to the full-scale war (2014–2021)—when Russia had just begun its invasion by annexing Crimea and certain territories in the Donbas—152 children were killed as a result of hostilities, and another 146 were wounded.
From the start of the full-scale war in February 2022 through November 2025, according to official data, Russia killed 668 Ukrainian children. A total of 2,253 children were injured as a result of the war.
It is worth noting that it is impossible to determine the exact number of affected children due to ongoing hostilities and the temporary occupation of parts of Ukraine’s territory.
Regarding those missing: as of today, 2,234 children are considered missing in Ukraine, most of them in temporarily occupied territories or regions where fighting is taking place (prior to the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 147 children were considered missing). During wartime, children go missing for various reasons, but since the beginning of 2022, law enforcement agencies have already managed to locate 47,962 missing children.
A clear war crime committed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine is the abduction of Ukrainian children followed by their deportation. According to Bring Kids Back UA, since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have forcibly deported a total of 19,546 Ukrainian children. Of these, only 1,819 have been returned so far.
It should be noted that the presidential initiative BringKidsBackUA is dedicated specifically to the return of Ukrainian children. More than 40 countries have already joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children as part of Bring Kids Back UA.
In September of this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was launching a “tracking mechanism” to collect all data on Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. He also called on the international community to increase pressure on those Russian politicians, officials, judges, propagandists, and others involved in the abduction of children and attempts to “reprogram their minds and erase their identities.” According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is aware of nearly 400 locations in Russia where abducted Ukrainian children are being held.
In May 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the need to return Ukrainian children who were taken or deported by Russia.
In the fourth year of full-scale war, Ukraine is marking Children’s Day for the first time on a new date—November 20 (World Children’s Day). According to official figures alone, the war has claimed the lives of more than 600 young Ukrainians, and thousands of children have been injured. The abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia and their illegal deportation has been a source of particular pain. And although Ukraine is working to bring the children home and raises this issue in nearly all international forums, so far only about 2,000 of the nearly 20,000 abducted Ukrainian children have been returned. “Slovo i Dilo” publishes data on how many Ukrainian children were affected by Russian aggression from 2014 to 2021, as well as how many children were affected during Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine from 2022 to 2025.
See the infographic from “Slovo i Dilo” to find out how many Ukrainian children were harmed, killed, or deported to Russia during the years of Russian aggression.
Abduction and Murder of Ukrainian Children by Russia — Slovo i Dilo — Full-size image (opens in a new window)
According to data from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies, prior to the full-scale war (2014–2021)—when Russia had just begun its invasion by annexing Crimea and certain territories in the Donbas—152 children were killed as a result of hostilities, and another 146 were wounded.
From the start of the full-scale war in February 2022 through November 2025, according to official data, Russia killed 668 Ukrainian children. A total of 2,253 children were injured as a result of the war.
It is worth noting that it is impossible to determine the exact number of affected children due to ongoing hostilities and the temporary occupation of parts of Ukraine’s territory.
Regarding those missing: as of today, 2,234 children are considered missing in Ukraine, most of them in temporarily occupied territories or regions where fighting is taking place (prior to the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, 147 children were considered missing). During wartime, children go missing for various reasons, but since the beginning of 2022, law enforcement agencies have already managed to locate 47,962 missing children.
A clear war crime committed by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine is the abduction of Ukrainian children followed by their deportation. According to Bring Kids Back UA, since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russians have forcibly deported a total of 19,546 Ukrainian children. Of these, only 1,819 have been returned so far.
It should be noted that the presidential initiative BringKidsBackUA is dedicated specifically to the return of Ukrainian children. More than 40 countries have already joined the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children as part of Bring Kids Back UA.
In September of this year, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was launching a “tracking mechanism” to collect all data on Ukrainian children abducted by Russia. He also called on the international community to increase pressure on those Russian politicians, officials, judges, propagandists, and others involved in the abduction of children and attempts to “reprogram their minds and erase their identities.” According to Zelenskyy, Ukraine is aware of nearly 400 locations in Russia where abducted Ukrainian children are being held.
In May 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the need to return Ukrainian children who were taken or deported by Russia.
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