MOSCOW, July 27. /TASS/. About 300 children have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics since 2014 as a result of the Kiev government's aggression, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"July 27 marks the Day of Remembrance for Child Victims of the War in Donbass. The commemorative date was established in 2022 to honor the memory of children whose lives were claimed by the war unleashed by the Kiev government in 2014. Since 2014, Ukrainian forces have waged full-scale military operations against civilians in the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Over the years, about 300 children have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded," the Foreign Ministry said on its Telegram channel.

"One of the first child victims of the war in Donbass was 10-month-old Kira. She was killed together with her mother during the shelling of Gorlovka in the summer of 2014. The 'Gorlovka Madonna' became a symbol of the tragedy of Donbass civilians," the Foreign Ministry said, accompanying the post with a video about children affected by Ukraine's actions.

The Day of Remembrance for Child Victims of the War in Donbass is observed annually on July 27. The commemorative date was established by a decree of the head of the Donetsk People’s Republic in 2022. On July 27, 2014, the Ukrainian military launched a massive strike on Gorlovka, killing 22 people. Among the victims was 23-year-old Kristina Zhuk, who was holding her 10-month-old daughter Kira in her arms. The mother and child became known as the "Gorlovka Madonna," and residents of Donetsk later referred to the day of the tragedy as "Bloody Sunday."