The UN Secretary-General António Guterres reported a significant increase in severe violations of children's rights in Ukraine due to aggressive actions by the Russian Federation, once again placing the Russian army on the «blacklist».

This information is included in Guterres' annual report «Children and Armed Conflict», presented at the UN Security Council meeting by the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Virginia Gamba.

The largest increase in violations was recorded in Lebanon (545%), Mozambique (525%), Haiti (490%), and Ethiopia (235%). In Ukraine, the increase stands at 105%.

«I am deeply concerned about the sharp rise in severe violations against children in Ukraine, including killings and maiming of children, as well as attacks on schools and hospitals,» the Secretary-General indicated in the section dedicated to Ukraine.

During the reporting period (2024–2025), the UN documented the killing of 94 and injury of 577 children. Responsibility for this is attributed to the Russian armed forces and affiliated groups. There were also 559 attacks on schools and 303 on hospitals documented.

The report confirms that many Ukrainian children taken to Russia have still not been found.

«I strongly urge the Russian Federation to cooperate with the UN in returning Ukrainian children and reuniting them with their families and/or guardians,» Guterres emphasized.

Consequently, the RF Armed Forces have again been officially included in the list of state structures that systematically violate children's rights (the so-called «blacklist»). This list also includes the DRC, Myanmar, Somalia, Sudan, and several other states and regimes.

Ukraine's Permanent Representative to the UN Andrii Melnyk called on the Security Council to impose sanctions against states and individuals responsible for serious violations of children's rights during armed conflicts.