KYIV, 10 September 2025 – The equivalent of about 150 classrooms of children have been killed or injured in Ukraine since the start of full-scale war, Save the Children said just days after further attacks on Kyiv killed civilians including a baby. [1]
New United Nations figures published today show there have been 3,018 child casualties - including 733 killed and 2,285 injured - across Ukraine since February 2022, highlighting the grave violations against children that are ongoing in the conflict and illegal under international law.
With hostilities escalating over the past few months, it is more critical than ever that all parties to the conflict ensure civilians are protected, Save the Children said. This includes refraining from the use of explosive weapons in populated areas that pose a serious risk to children.
Sonia Khush, Save the Children Country Director in Ukraine, said:
“With every passing day of this war, the risk to children and civilians is amplified. Over the past few months, we’ve seen escalating attacks on civilian areas that suggest a flagrant disregard for children and their rights.
“It’s simple: classrooms should be full of children learning and smiling, not the metric for them populating graveyards and hospital wards. It is more critical than ever before that parties to the conflict ensure civilians are protected – including stopping the use of explosive weapons in populated areas which can tear children’s bodies apart and leave them with lifelong injuries.”
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014 and has scaled up operations since the war escalated in February 2022 and now has a team of about 250 staff based in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, and Chernivtsi. Working with more than 25 partners, the organisation has provided support to more than 4.2 million people, including around 1.6 million children.
ENDS
NOTES
[1] New UN data shows 3,000 children have been killed or injured since February 2022. Using the national Ukrainian average of 20 children to a classroom, we divided 3000 by 20 to reach 150.
We have spokespeople available. For further enquiries please contact:
[email protected] / +44(0)7831 650409