The Kyiv Independent reported Sunday that Washington National Cathedral held a service for Ukrainian children. The cathedral’s calendar named the event “Choral Evensong: Praying for the Children of Ukraine” and said it was organized with Ukraine’s Embassy.
The program paired a litany involving Ukrainian children with prayers by Ukrainian clergy for peace and people in Ukraine. The Kyiv Independent reported that hundreds attended. Denys Sienik, Ukraine’s acting ambassador to the United States, told the outlet the service aimed to focus attention on children affected by the war and remind them that “no one is forgotten.”
A Sept. 29 release from Ukraine’s Ministry of Social Policy, Family and Unity put the Ministry of Justice’s tally at 20,651 confirmed cases of child deportation and forced transfer by September 2026. The ministry said the total remains under review and that authorities must assess each case individually. It added that Russia had published no official count of Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred.
The same release put returns through Bring Kids Back UA at 2,650 children as of Sept. 28, including children returning from Russia and temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories. The ministry also said Russia had blocked independent monitoring and had not responded to requests from international organizations.
In an Aug. 25 release, UNICEF said the United Nations had verified 3,946 children killed or injured in Ukraine since the war escalated in February 2022. The figures describe different harms: Ukraine’s tally covers confirmed deportation and forced-transfer cases, while UNICEF’s figure includes children killed and injured.
