The Heartbreaking Thing Ukrainian Mothers Are Doing to Their Children as Russia’s War Rages On

For more than a month now, Ukrainian citizens and children have endured an unjust war. Innocent lives have been taken by the violence and of the thousands of casualties, according to the latest reports, at least 153 children have died as well.

And as new information continues to come to light regarding the war, one recent tweet is forcing us all to take a collective breath. While the tweet was originally shared by Ukrainian journalist Anastasia Lapatina, American newswoman Katie Couric also shared the photo.

The Heartbreaking Things Ukrainian Mothers Are Doing to Their Children as Russia’s War Rages On

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The photo shows what Ukrainian mothers have felt forced to do to their children during this horrific war. The photo reveals a child’s bareback, on the child’s back, is writing.

The writing indicates important information about the child and their parents. This is in case the child gets separated from their parents or if their parents don’t survive.

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The child’s mother explained her decision on Instagram. Her loosely translated caption read, in part:

“It hurts to go to the photo gallery. There’s such a wonderful life that we had. In the photo, Vera’s back on the first day of the war. I signed it with my hands trembling very much. But why tell you? You already know what it’s like to wake up to the deafening and powerful sounds of explosions that can be heard for tens of kilometers. I was shaking for the first hours like you.”

“This breaks my heart,” Couric wrote on her Instagram account. “Russia is facing more accusations of war crimes after horrifying images surfaced Sunday and Monday from the city of Bucha, a small suburb outside of Kyiv. According to President Zelensky, more than 300 civilians had been tortured and killed.”

In a statement issued by President Zelensky, he said, “The bodies of killed people — killed Ukrainians — have already been taken from most streets, but in the yards, in the houses, the dead still remain. The cities are simply ruined.” 

President Biden also addressed the situation in Bucha, calling Russia’s president a war criminal. “You saw what happened in Bucha. He [Putin] is a war criminal. We have to gather all the details so this can be an actual…have a war crimes trial.”