Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to various sources, 21 children have died in the country, Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights Liudmyla Denisova has said.

"The situation in Ukraine remains tense. As of 13:00 on March 2, 2022, the Russian occupier continued to use heavy weapons and destroy the civilian population. Since the beginning of the Russian Federation's invasion of Ukraine, according to the analysis of information from various sources, 21 children have died and 55 have been injured," Denisova wrote on Facebook.

As a result of shelling, the invaders destroyed the infrastructure of the cities: Kyiv, Irpin, Kharkiv, Mariupol, Zhytomyr, Kherson and the village of Vasylivka, Zaporizhia region.

In Zhytomyr, a maternity hospital was damaged as a result of a missile strike. In Vasylivka, shells flew into the yard of a local school.

Kharkiv and Kherson continue to be under heavy shelling.

"Tonight, as a result of an air strike in the city of Zhytomyr, one child was killed and six children were injured. They were rescued from the basements of dilapidated houses. By their actions, the armed forces of the Russian Federation continue to cynically violate the basic rights of children – the right to life and healthcare, guaranteed to every child in world with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child," Denisova stressed.

She noted that some of these deaths could have been avoided by establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine, and called on the international community and international human rights organizations to support the initiative to close the Ukrainian skies from enemy fighters.

"Meanwhile, under shelling in Chernihiv, two triplets were born in a maternity hospital. As long as such angels are born in Ukraine, we are invincible!" she added.