Russia to Monitor Children’s Rights Situation in Ukraine

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia has created a special monitoring group to keep track of human rights violations with respect to children in southeastern Ukraine, the Russian Izvestia newspaper reports.

According to the newspaper, the group, set up on Friday, includes members of the Russian parliament (both from the State Duma — the lower house, and the Federation Council — the upper house), as well as members of the Civic Chamber and the Russian Presidential Council.

"We want international organizations to contribute to this work as well, because a lot of international [human] rights missions have been created, they do come [to Ukraine], but they have a very selective approach to human rights on the ground and try not to notice that civilians are dying. This is unacceptable," member of the Presidential Council on Human Rights Yana Lantratova said as quoted by Izvestia on Friday.

According to Russia's Children's Right Commissioner Pavel Astakhov, around two million children have been affected by the armed conflict in southeastern Ukraine, which started in April, 2014, when Kiev forces launched a military operation against local independence supporters.

More than 30 of the children who were in need of medical assistance have been transported out of the conflict zone in southeastern Ukraine to Russian hospitals. According to Astakhov, Russia will keep transporting the sick and injured children in groups of 8-12.

Over 100 hospitals, schools, kindergartens, children's camps and other institutions were destroyed in southeastern Ukraine as a result of the conflict.