Published 21.59
The Save the Children preschool in Kharkiv has been attacked with Russian targeted bombs.
The building is completely destroyed.
– It is a serious war crime, says Cecilia Chatterjee‑Martinsen, secretary general of Save the Children.
A preschool in the Kharkiv region in the east Ukraine was badly damaged on Tuesday night by Russian guided bombs, according to Save the Children.
The organization cannot determine that this particular attack was deliberate. But the suspicion is strong.
– What we see in Ukraine is that hospitals, schools and preschools – what should be protected even in war – are deliberately attacked, says Save the Children’s general secretary Cecilia Chatterjee‑Martinsen.
Schools in bunkers
She was in Ukraine herself a few months ago and saw the ruins of bombed schools and kindergartens.
– It cannot be a mistake every time with so many schools, hospitals and civil infrastructure being destroyed.
In several places in Ukraine, teaching now takes place underground. Shelters have been converted into classrooms.
– It is a result of not daring to have schools above ground.
“Afraid, Afraid, Afraid”
According to the UN children’s fund Unicef, 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of suffering mental health problems due to the war. One of the risks is PTSD.
Cecilia Chatterjee-Martinsen tells about a meeting with a 16-year-old girl in Ukraine.
– She said she has spent her entire teenage years being afraid. Afraid for himself, for his parents and younger siblings. Scared on the way home and scared at school, says Cecilia Chatterjee‑Martinsen.
– This is not how children should have to live.
