Six-year-old girl, wounded during the shelling of the Znob-Novhorodske hromada on March 28, died in the hospital
A 6-year-old Yevheniia Serhiienko, who sustained severe injuries during the shelling of the Znob-Novhorodske “hromada,” a local government area that includes one or more nearby settlements, in the Sumy region on March 28, has died in the hospital, according to the Sumy Oblast Regional Military Administration.
Daryna and Yevheniia SerhiienkoAt that time, Russian troops, according to preliminary data, shelled the Serhiienko’s family home in the Shostka District with artillery at around noon. As a result of the attack, 20-year-old Daryna was killed, and three more people — her 6-year-old sister and parents — sustained injuries.
It was reported that the older sister shielded the younger one with her body during the strike and died on the spot. The child was hospitalized in critical condition; the parents also sustained injuries.
The 6-year-old girl died from her injuries in the hospital on March 31, 2026.
In light of this war crime, the Shostka District Prosecutor’s Office has initiated a pre-trial investigation under Part 2, Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
Ambassador David Schäffer, former US War Crimes Ambassador, U.S. Department of State, pointed out at a hearing by the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission on 25 March 2026 that the Russian Federation is conducting a full-scale assault on the civilian population.
“Yes, of course, the Ukrainian military is out there fighting courageously, and it has recovered some territory it had previously lost. But as an international lawyer, one becomes very familiar with the distinction between the military advantage of hitting legitimate military targets and, of course, the illegality of striking civilian ones. While there can be instances of collateral damage that must be taken into account, what is so astonishing about Ukraine is that this is a full-scale assault on the civilian population,” he said.
Schäffer also stressed that Russian missile and drone strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure are directed against civilians.
He added that the abduction of Ukrainian children likewise constitutes an attack on the civilian population and has no connection to military objectives.
He recounted that in the first weeks following the full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, he had described the situation as the most rapid and large-scale assault on civilians since World War II.
He also underscored the importance of funding investigations, including humanitarian initiatives, noting that the cost of rule-of-law efforts is minuscule compared to spending on military exercises.
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