A haunting photograph sits at the heart of Andriy Yermak's plea to the world: a smiling toddler named Anhelina Halych, born in Kyiv in 2022, killed alongside her mother when a Russian missile struck their home on August 28.

"One child. One story among thousands," Yermak writes in his Washington Examiner column, "Hundreds of Ukrainian children are dead. Russia must be held accountable."

Yermak, who heads the Office of the President of Ukraine, describes a war that has turned childhood itself into a battlefield.

His column, published Tuesday, details Russia's "systematic evil" against Ukraine's youngest citizens — killings, kidnappings, indoctrination, and forced deportations that he says amount to genocide.

According to Ukrainian government data cited by Yermak, at least 661 children have been confirmed killed and more than 2,200 wounded since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022.

Those numbers only reflect cases documented in areas still under Ukrainian control; the true toll in Russian-occupied territories remains far higher and largely hidden.

"Russia holds countless more Ukrainian children there," Yermak warns. "They're being brainwashed, trained for war, and turned into tools for Russia's empire."

Thousands, he adds, have been taken across the border into Russia, their Ukrainian identities erased through forced "adoptions" and propaganda. "This is genocide, not collateral damage. It's a deliberate strategy to destroy a nation's heart and soul."

The Ukrainian official points to specific cases emblematic of this cruelty.

Among them is 17-year-old Pylyp, forcibly transferred to Russia and later "adopted" by Maria Lvova-Belova, President Vladimir Putin's commissioner for children's rights, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court. Lvova-Belova has publicly boasted of "reeducating" Ukrainian children.

Other tragedies include Vlad from Kherson, imprisoned for tearing down a Russian flag, and the Lesnichenko brothers, ages 4 and 6, killed with their parents by a Russian drone. "This is a manhunt, not a battle," Yermak writes.

The international community has increasingly recognized these acts as war crimes.

Earlier this year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, accusing them of orchestrating the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

The United Nations Human Rights Council and numerous humanitarian groups have corroborated reports of forced transfers and psychological reprogramming.

Now, Yermak's essay adds political momentum to a new U.S. Senate effort to formally label Russia a state sponsor of terrorism — a designation that would place it alongside Iran, Syria, and North Korea.

The bipartisan legislation, introduced by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Katie Britt (R-AL), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), demands that Moscow immediately return all abducted children and cease attacks on civilians or face expanded sanctions and global isolation.

"This is not symbolic," Yermak insists. "It demands accountability."

Beyond the assault on children, Yermak's column details a broader campaign of repression and destruction.

Russian forces, he says, have destroyed 704 churches, killed 74 priests, and persecuted believers across occupied Ukraine. "It crushes religious freedoms," he writes. "What is happening to Ukrainians in Russian custody is state policy of torture."

Human rights observers echo these concerns, comparing Russian detention sites to the "Hanoi Hilton" prison that tormented American POWs during the Vietnam War. Thousands of civilians, including priests, journalists, and aid workers, remain missing or are believed to be held in inhumane conditions.

Among the most striking moments in Yermak's essay is his public gratitude to former First Lady Melania Trump. He credits her with personally helping secure the return of a group of Ukrainian children from Russian-controlled territory through back-channel humanitarian efforts.

"We Ukrainians are grateful to First Lady Melania Trump, whose personal efforts helped secure the return of a group of Ukrainian children," Yermak writes. "Her humanitarian leadership demonstrates that diplomacy, when guided by genuine compassion, can pierce even the darkest diplomatic barriers."

Melania Trump's quiet role in humanitarian outreach has been met with widespread international praise. In Kyiv and Washington, officials described her involvement as a rare example of moral diplomacy transcending partisanship. American faith leaders and European relief organizations have likewise commended her compassion.

"Mrs. Trump's advocacy reminds the world that empathy still matters," said Dr. Olena Shuliak, a child welfare advocate in Lviv. "When political negotiations stall, a voice of kindness can open doors."

Yermak's message extends beyond condemnation — it's a call to conscience. He urges the United States and its allies not only to punish Russia but to reaffirm their moral leadership. "For centuries, the U.S. has been a global beacon of true faith and humanity-based values," he writes. "As the world stands at a moral crossroads, it needs strong leadership."

Designating Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, he argues, would send an unmistakable signal that "America refuses to normalize barbarism." Strengthened sanctions, continued weapons aid, and unwavering diplomatic pressure, he says, are necessary to ensure Russia pays a heavy price for its "criminal war."

At the heart of Ukraine's response is President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, which Yermak helps lead. The program coordinates with foreign governments and NGOs to locate, rescue, and repatriate abducted Ukrainian children.

So far, 1,744 children have been successfully returned home.

"Each rescued child is a saved life, a restored hope," Yermak writes. "And the unwavering support of the United States has been vital to the success of this initiative."

Internationally, the program has drawn comparisons to post-World War II efforts to reunite displaced children in Europe. Its successes, though limited by Russia's obstruction, offer a measure of light in a dark war.

Yermak's column closes with an appeal that resonates far beyond Ukraine's borders: "Every child stolen, every family torn apart, every life extinguished — these are not mere statistics. They are a challenge to the entire civilized world."

As global outrage intensifies and bipartisan resolve in Washington grows, the question now is whether the world will transform empathy into action.

"Russia must be held accountable," Yermak insists. "No one else can lead this effort but America."