On Wednesday afternoon, a horrific incident occurred in Santa Maria di Sala, near Venice, where a six-year-old boy from Ukraine, fleeing the war, was struck by a car.

According to information provided by Ansa, the child was hospitalized but tragically passed away at the hospital in Padua on Friday.

The boy, along with his mother, held refugee status in Italy, where they lived among other Ukrainian families in a former priest's residence.

It is reported that the child was thrown several meters away from the vehicle as a result of the accident and was in critical condition.

Medical sources confirmed that the boy was pronounced brain dead the following day after the incident.

As reported by Ukrinform, as of February 28, over 4.3 million people who fled Ukraine due to Russia's full-scale invasion held temporary protection status in EU countries, with approximately 164,000 residing in Italy.