109 empty prams in city square: Ukraine's grim reminder of children killed in war

109 empty prams were placed in Rynok Square in Ukraine's Lviv. (Image: MFA_Ukraine/Twitter)

In the Ukrainian city of Lviv, 109 empty prams were kept in Rynok Square today as a grim reminder of the children killed during the Russian invasion.

The heartbreaking photo was shared by Ukraine's Foreign Ministry on Twitter and with the claim 109 children have been killed so far by Russian troops since the war began on February 24.

“109 empty prams were placed on Rynok Square in Lviv. Thatʼs the number of Ukrainian children mercilessly killed by Russian troops since the beginning of the full-scale war,” the ministry tweeted with hashtags ‘close Ukraine sky now’ and ‘stop Russian aggression’.

109 empty prams were placed on Rynok Square in Lviv.

Thatʼs the number of Ukrainian children mercilessly killed by #Russian troops since the beginning of the full-scale #war.#closeUAskyNOW#StopRussianAggression pic.twitter.com/aKQnbmVlgA

— MFA of Ukraine (@MFA_Ukraine) March 18, 2022

The horrors of the war have affected civilians the most.

Days ago, an airstrike hit a maternity hospital in Maruipol where a pregnant woman died, The Associated Press reported. The woman was rushed to another hospital where doctors tried their best to resuscitate her. Both the mother and the baby died.

Read: Ukraine woman dies after maternity hospital attack, baby stillborn

In the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv, expecting mothers coop up in the basement of a maternity hospital as sirens sound overground. Many fear that they have to give birth there.

Women have been fleeing the country with infants, toddlers and children – mostly alone as trains give preference to women and children – not men. Over 3.5 million Ukrainians have fled the country so far.

Zelensky has urged for more aid from the United States as the violence sees no sign of slowing down.

Thousands of Ukrainian civilians and soldiers have died in the war that entered its 23rd day today.