On February 21, the Czech capital, Prague, will host a screening of the documentary “Damaged Childhood,” created by Ukrainian independent media and video production company Online.UA. The film about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia will be screened at the Cervantes Institute from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM.
Points of attention
- Through testimonies and personal narratives, the film exposes the war crimes committed by Russia against Ukrainian children, bringing attention to this critical issue.
- The screening of 'Damaged Childhood' aims to raise awareness and spark conversations about the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia, emphasizing the need for justice and support for the affected families.
The film "Damaged Childhood" will be shown in the Czech Republic
The documentary tells the stories of Ukrainian children who became victims of abduction by Russian invaders against the backdrop of a full-scale war.
In the film, children and their parents tell their own stories. Ukrainian children were held captive, some of them were forcibly taken to so-called health camps in Russia, others were separated from their parents.
The Online.UA team documented the testimonies of minors about Russia's war crimes against the Ukrainian people.
It is worth noting that the film screening will end with a conversation with a Ukrainian psychologist, group facilitator, National Technical Coordinator for Children and Armed Conflict/Head of the Secretariat of the Inter-Agency Group on Children and Armed Conflict, Olena Skrypko, and two children who were abducted by Russia and returned to Ukraine.
In particular, Kira will share her story. On March 17, 2022, her father died in an explosion. Then Kira and the other residents of her house hid in the basement for some time.
On March 25, they decided to leave Mariupol on foot, but on their way out of the city they came across a mine. Kira and another child were injured. Ukrainian military personnel provided them with first aid.
Later, the girls were taken by transport to the village of Mangush, where Russian soldiers were stationed. Then the Russian troops deported the girls to Donetsk. Kira's grandfather, Oleksandr, was also in Mariupol with his wife, but he managed to escape and move to Chernivtsi. All the time, he was looking for his granddaughter.
On April 15, he received a call from Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk and was informed that he could come to the occupied territory to follow her through Russia. The Office of the President, the Red Cross, and representatives of the Vatican joined in this.
Viewers will also be able to learn Vlad's story. During his eight-month imprisonment in camps in the occupied territories of Kherson region and Crimea, he became a victim of psychological and physical violence.
What is important to understand is that Ukrainian authorities have identified 19,546 cases of abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.
