Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine caused not only the destruction of infrastructure and the economy, but also catastrophic humanitarian consequences, particularly for the most vulnerable part of the population: children. In the annual report of the UN Secretary General, devoted to the violation of the rights of children in armed conflicts, the Russian Federation is again included in the so-called “list of shame” – the list of states and armed forces responsible for the most serious crimes against children.
This document is part of systematic monitoring by the United Nations and covers verified cases of death, maiming, kidnapping, sexual violence, recruitment of children into armed groups, and attacks on schools and medical facilities. In the context of the war in Ukraine, which is already in its fourth year, the number of documented cases of violations has increased significantly.
Official UN data: increase in crimes against children in Ukraine
U reports The UN Secretary General “Children and Armed Conflict” recorded an increase in the number of gross violations of children’s rights in Ukraine by 105% compared to the previous reporting period. This is one of the highest indicators among the countries covered by UN monitoring. The text of the report separately emphasizes the responsibility of Russian military formations for:
– murders and mutilations of children,
– attacks on schools, hospitals and other civilian objects,
– cases of kidnapping, forced deportation,
– other forms of gross violations of International Humanitarian Law.
The overall level of recorded violations in Ukraine exceeded even the scale of child losses in traditionally conflict regions, such as Syria or Afghanistan. In 2024-2025, only Lebanon (545%), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%) and Ethiopia (235%) saw a higher growth rate — while Ukraine saw a 105% increase.
Despite the fact that the report covers conflicts all over the world, Ukraine in 2025 occupies one of the central places in terms of the level of growth of violations. This proves that the war continues extremely intensively, and the civilian population, in particular children, is not protected. While the number of recorded incidents is decreasing in a number of countries, the opposite trend is observed in Ukraine.
Such a conclusion is a signal to all UN member states, governments, donors, and human rights defenders: children in Ukraine need additional protection, emergency aid, and restoration of access to education and medicine. It is also a direct request to the international judiciary — not to postpone the trials against those guilty of these crimes.
What is the “list of shame” and why is it important to update it again
The “List of Shame” is an informal but internationally significant part of the UN’s annual report, which includes countries and organizations directly responsible for systematic violations of children’s rights during armed conflicts. Being on the list does not entail automatic sanctions, but has deep political, legal and moral significance. In the 2023 report, Russia was included in this list for the first time, and already in the 2024-2025 report, it is again present among the figures — against the background of further escalation of violence against children.
The UN draws special attention to the repetition of violations, non-fulfillment of international obligations, refusal to cooperate with human rights organizations and lack of mechanisms to prevent violence. The Russian Federation, as stated in the report, not only did not stop the practice of attacks on civilian objects where children are located, but also continues to carry out mass abductions and forced transfer of Ukrainian minors to the territory of Russia.
Ukrainian children of war: not only victims, but also symbols of trauma
Crimes recorded by the UN go far beyond dry statistics. It is about real tragedies, where children – destroyed by explosions, orphaned or deported – live in constant stress, loss of home, family, school. According to UNICEF estimates, the number of children in Ukraine who need psychological help has reached 1.5 million.
A strike on schools means interrupted learning and socialization, the destruction of the future in the literal sense. Attacks on medical facilities leave children without access to treatment. Cases of maiming and death of minors are a direct violation of the Geneva Conventions, which oblige the parties to the conflict to protect the civilian population, especially children.
In addition, the report contains evidence of Russian forces using schools as barracks or combat positions, making educational institutions targets. It was this practice that led to many victims among children – as a result of airstrikes, artillery shelling, and landslides.
Political and legal consequences for Russia
Despite the lack of direct legal responsibility for being on the “list of shame”, the very fact of inclusion creates a basis for further decisions by international institutions. Information from the UN Secretary General’s reports is actively used by the International Criminal Court in war crimes trials. Moreover, the mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children became the basis for the arrest warrant issued in 2023 for Vladimir Putin.
The regular updates of the reports and the re-listing of Russia confirm that the international community does not consider these crimes to be isolated or exclusively military incidents. It is a systemic policy that deliberately ignores the norms of humanitarian law.
“The list of shame” is the point where war and childhood, aggression and law, impunity and justice meet. The repeated inclusion of Russia in this list is a direct recognition that military actions against Ukraine are accompanied by mass crimes against children. And if the world community aspires to a truly humane future, then protecting Ukrainian children is an unconditional moral imperative.
