Russia's war has 'stolen the childhood of millions'

All western companies should withdraw from the country, say Ukraine MPs

Ukrainian MPs Olena Khomenko (left), Lesia Vasylenko (centre-left), Alona Shkrum (centre-right) and Maria Mezentseva outside Number 10 Downing Street, in London. Reuters

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Parliamentarians from Ukraine’s worst hit cities have described scenes of desperation during a war which they said has “stolen the childhood of millions”.

Four women MPs were in the UK to call on all western companies operating in Russia to follow the boycott of others such as McDonald’s and Starbucks. They urged Imperial Tobacco and Marks & Spencer, which has 48 stores in the country, to cut ties with the country.

The politicians, who had to be given special dispensation to travel out of Ukraine to London, as MPs who leave the country without permission can be charged with treason, spoke at the House of Commons on Thursday.

Asked what they would say to the companies continuing to trade in Russia, Alona Shkrum said economic activity in Russia was funding military spending. “This is very important to put Putin in isolation economically and for him to know that he will not be getting a handshake from the world,” said the MP from the Batkivschyna party.

She said more than 100 children had been killed in the war so far.

Her fellow MP, Lesia Vasylenko, said the Russia assault was stealing “the childhood of millions of children”.

“We will see a generation of Ukrainians grow up with the burden of war already on their shoulders,” she said. “Thousands of babies are being born every day and the first thing they see and they hear is missiles and sirens. They have to spend their first hours of their lives in basements, which is not the way it is supposed to be.”

Ms Vasylenko, who has taken up arms to defend her country, said it was now clear after Russia’s early failure to take Ukraine that tactics have changed, including sexual assaults on women.

“When Putin was unable to take Ukraine and Kyiv in the three days as he envisaged that he would, he shifted his strategy to target specifically women and children,” said the mother of three. “We have reports now through Ukraine, especially in cities which were hit the hardest, of women who were raped. These women are usually the ones who are unable to get out. We are talking about senior citizens.”

The pair were joined by Maria Mezentseva and Olena Khomenko. Ms Mezentseva, of the Servant of the People Party, said humanitarian aid groups such as the UNHCR and Red Cross did not have much of a presence in Ukraine, despite a mandate to operate on the ground.

“It feels really disgusting to be left on your own when we are defending international presence and we’re saying there will be a day where they are being attacked,” she said.