Putin's forces killed 242 and injured at least 440 children in Ukraine since onset of war

As the Russian offensive against Ukraine continues even after three months, Russian forces have reportedly killed more than 242 children since the onset of the invasion. According to the data updated by the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office on Saturday, May 28, it said Putin's forces have already killed 242 children and injured at least 440 in Ukraine. As per the military update, the Donetsk region suffered the most casualties with 153 children, followed by the national capital, Kyiv, with 116 killed in the war. The data of the other regions are as follows: Kharkiv– 108, Chernihiv region – 68, Luhansk– 51, Kherson– 49, Mykolaiv– 45, Zaporizhzhia– 28, Sumy– 17, Kyiv city – 16, and Zhytomyr– 15.

"As of the morning of May 28, more than 682 children have been affected in Ukraine as a result of full-scale armed aggression by the Russian Federation. According to official figures from juvenile prosecutors, 242 children were killed and more than 440 were injured," translate the statement published on the Telegram messaging app.

Further, the Prosecutor General's Office said the death toll may increase after the assessment of other regions of the country. Besides, Moscow has lost an estimated 30,000 troops and 1,300 war tanks ever since the onset of the invasion, according to the data shared by Ukrainian Army's General Staff on its social media account. Meanwhile, a top Ukrainian official warned of third world war if Russia was not defeated in the ongoing "special military operation." While speaking to a Ukrainian TV on Friday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's advisor and negotiator, Mykhailo Podolyak, warned that if the enemy (Russia) does not lose in the war, then Russia's "revanchism and chauvinism will only swell."

Russia captures most of Ukraine's Lyman town, claims UK intel report

Moreover, the UK intelligence agency, in its daily update, said Putin's forces have likely captured most of the town of Lyman in the north of Donetsk.

As per the intelligence reports, in the coming days, Russian units in the area are likely to prioritise forcing a crossing of the river. For now, Russia’s main effort likely remains 40 km to the east, around the Sieverodonetsk pocket, it noted.

However, it noted a bridgehead near Lyman would give Russia an advantage in the potential next phase of the Donbas offensive when it will likely seek to advance on key Ukrainian-held cities deeper in Donetsk Oblast, Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.
Notably, Lyman is strategically important because it is the site of a major railway junction, and also gives access to important rail and road bridges over the Siverskyy Donets River.

Image: AP