Verkhovna Rada adopts law on the status of children affected by war
14 May 2025 15:33
The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted draft law No. 12385, which regulates the procedure for granting the status of a child affected by hostilities and armed conflicts. The document was voted in favor by 277 MPs, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The law provides for amendments to Article 31-1 of the Law of Ukraine “On Protection of Childhood,” in particular, a clear definition of the grounds and range of bodies authorized to grant the status.
From now on, the status of an affected child may be granted at the place of application or identification of the child by local executive authorities or local self-government bodies.
The procedure and conditions for granting the status will be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers.
How many children in Ukraine are affected by the war?
As of May 14, 2025, according to the official data of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine, at least 2,572 children have suffered as a result of the full-scale armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In particular, 625 children were killed, and 1,947 were injured of varying severity.
In addition, according to the National Police of Ukraine, 2,236 children have been reported missing since the beginning of the war, of whom 40,372 have been found. Also, according to the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, at least 195,460 children have been deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or the temporarily occupied territories. Of these, only 1,307 children have been returned to Ukraine.
childrenofwar.gov.ua
These figures are official, but the real losses may be even higher, as work is underway to establish accurate data in the areas of active hostilities and the temporarily occupied territories
