Day of Remembrance of the Children Who Died as a Result of the Russian Federation’s Armed Aggression Against Ukraine Date in the current year: June 4, 2024

The International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is a United Nations international day that has been observed every June 4 since 1982. The date was chosen because it is the anniversary the 1982 air strike of the Israeli Defense Force on Beirut in response to an assassination attempt on Israeli ambassador to the UK Shlomo Argov. According to Soviet and Arab sources, 14 children were killed and another 8 were injured as a result of the strike.

The main objective of the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression is to emphasize that children are the most vulnerable members of societies who are most affected by the consequences of war. Because of this, it is important to maximize their safety in countries and territories affected by military conflicts and to ensure that their rights are respected and protected even in times of war.

The territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts of Ukraine have been a war zone since April 2014. Officially, the war in Donbas is an armed conflict between the Ukrainian government and the separatist forces of the self-proclaimed and largely unrecognized Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. However, Ukraine, a number of other countries, and multiple international organizations are confident that the Russian Armed Forces are also involved in the conflict, backing the separatists.

According to the resolution “On Honoring the Memory of the Children who Died as a Result of the Armed Aggression of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine”, adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) on June 1, 2021, at least 240 children have died, another 56 have gone missing, and 167 to 500 (according to various sources) have been injured since the beginning of hostilities in eastern Ukraine. Moreover, hundreds of children died or were injured as a result of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to an OSCE report, the armed forces of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republic get children aged 10 to 17 involved in the military conflict by making them attend “military patriotic camps”, where children are taught to use weapons. In February 2021, the Prosecutor’s Office of Ukraine launched a pre-trial investigation into this case, noting that over 100 children have participated in such camps since the war in Donbas began. Recruitment and use of children in war are one of the six most common violations that affect children in war zones.

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine established the Day Remembrance of the Children Who Died as a Result of the Russian Federation’s Armed Aggression Against Ukraine to raise awareness of children’s rights violations in the war zone and to honor the memory of the deceased children. It is marked by remembrance ceremonies and other commemorative events held throughout the country.