First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska honored the memory of children killed as a result of Russia's armed aggression in Kharkiv.
On the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression, which is marked annually on June 4, a monument to children killed because of the armed aggression of the Russian Federation was unveiled in the city with the assistance of the Office of the First Lady, the Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Oleh Syniehubov, volunteers and the public. It was created by sculptor Mykhailo Yatchenko. The event was also attended by representatives of the diplomatic corps.
"It is difficult to unveil monuments to the dead, especially if these dead are children. Because children must live. I recall now a photo that was spread all over the media: a father holding the hand of his son who died at a bus stop. It was in Kharkiv after another Russian shelling. It is impossible to forget this. And it is impossible to accept it. Parents hold the hands of their children when they take their first steps, when they first go to kindergarten or school. The worst thing you can imagine is holding the hand of a dead child. It just shouldn't be this way. Children must live!" the President's wife said at the unveiling of the monument.
The First Lady emphasized that in the twenty-first century, we have to tell the world about the need to protect Ukrainian children from extermination. At the same time, Russia's criminal actions are a threat to all children in the world.
"Our children are our responsibility. They depend on us, they rely on us. They trust us. If they are our future, we are their present. Let's make it the best, safest, most loving one even in times of war. And let us keep the memory of those children to whom this monument is dedicated. Let's become their voices and memory," Olena Zelenska urged.
As of May 30, 76 children were killed by the invaders in Kharkiv region, and 485 in Ukraine in total.