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As of early September 2026, at least 940 children have been killed in Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to a new Meduza investigation. The investigation examined all available information, including data from international organizations, Ukrainian and Russian authorities, social media posts, school and hospital statements, official authority declarations, law enforcement reports, news articles, and other public sources.

Almost every death was corroborated by two or more sources, though some were corroborated by only one source, such as local authority statements in occupied or hard-to-reach areas.

The investigation recorded deaths by location rather than citizenship, covering children who died within Ukraine's 1991 borders, including annexed Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. For Russia, the investigation counted only deaths within its internationally recognized territory, excluding Ukrainian regions. The age limit for counting casualties in both Ukraine and Russia is 18, as per their respective laws. Ukrainian and Russian law use the same age limit.

The investigation found that 873 children had been killed in Ukraine, with the majority dying between February and December 2022. Meanwhile, 67 children had been killed in Russia, most of whom were killed between January and early October 2026. The actual toll is likely higher, as the U.N. cautions that it cannot quickly verify every report of a child's death, particularly in areas with prolonged fighting.