Toronto, ON, November 17, 2025 – Overnight reports state that Ukraine has faced some of its most intense attacks in months, killing at least six civilians and injuring more than 30 others, including two children. More than 100 sites were damaged, from homes and schools to hospitals and critical infrastructure.

Plan International’s Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Response Director, Sven Coppens condemns the violence. “This past week was yet another brutal reminder of the toll that war continues to take on civilians in Ukraine, especially its children,” said Coppens. “These attacks follow a deeply concerning pattern: just two weeks earlier, missile strikes killed four civilians in Dnipro, including two children aged 11 and 14.

“Since February 2022, more than 3,018 Ukrainian children have been killed or injured in this war. The situation is worsening. In the first half of 2025 alone, 373 children were killed or injured – a 40% increase compared to the same period the year before. Three years of war have stolen childhoods. Families in frontline regions have spent over 5,000 hours – the equivalent of seven full months – sheltering underground.

“Children continue to wake to air raid sirens instead of safety, learning, or play. Humanitarian organizations are reporting skyrocketing rates of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among children affected by the war.

“Education is under attack. In 2024, the number of assaults on schools doubled, leaving more than 1.2 million children without full-time, in-person learning – a trend that risks having further intensified in 2025. Even where classes continue, one in five lessons is disrupted or cancelled by air-raid alerts, and many students now study from bomb shelters – if they can study at all.

“Children endure endless nights in bomb shelters, the trauma of explosions, the loss of homes and schools, and the absence of the stability and security every child needs to grow and thrive. Every child deserves safety, stability and a future – not a future shaped by bombs.

“All young people must have the opportunity to grow up free from fear, loss and violence. They must be able to live. Ukraine’s children are paying the highest price for this war, and the world cannot look away.

“Governments, international institutions, and all actors with influence over the conflict must act with urgency. International humanitarian law must be upheld, and schools, hospitals and homes must never be treated as legitimate targets.

“The world must scale up humanitarian assistance, including counselling, mental health care and safe access to education. This must include creating safe spaces where girls can access psychosocial support, protection services, and where they can learn. The international community must also press for a genuine and sustained ceasefire and seek accountability for violations.

“Plan International stands with the children and families of Ukraine. We are calling for protection, for peace and for justice. We cannot allow this trauma to become routine or permit fear to define another generation.”

About Plan International Canada

Plan International Canada is a member of a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International has been building powerful partnerships for children for over 85 years and is now active in more than 80 countries.

We stand with children, especially girls, wherever they are oppressed, exploited, left behind or not equally valued. We’re determined optimists and will continue to persevere until we are all equal.

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