Message about abducted Ukrainian children spelled out with 20,000 teddy bears in Washington – photo

A large-scale installation made from 20,000 teddy bears has been created on the National Mall in Washington, symbolising the Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.

Source: Olha Stefanishyna, Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, on Facebook

Details: The installation was set up outdoors near the US Capitol.

The bears, in white and red, have been arranged to form a giant message in English reading: "PUTIN ABDUCTED 20,000 UKRAINIAN CHILDREN. BRING KIDS BACK". Each toy represents one child who has been unlawfully taken from Ukraine.

Stefanishyna noted that Ukraine has managed to return over 2,000 children through the Bring Kids Back UA initiative. However, thousands are still separated from their families and homes.

"There can be no end to the war and no lasting, just peace without the return of Ukrainian children," she stressed.

Members of the US Congress also joined the initiative in support of the children, including Senators Amy Klobuchar and Richard Blumenthal as well as Congressmen Michael McCaul and Jamie Raskin.

Stefanishyna also emphasised that Russia and its leadership must remain subject to the toughest possible sanctions, so they feel the real consequences of their actions every day.

According to a Ukrinform correspondent, the event was organised by the charity Razom for Ukraine together with the American Coalition for Ukraine.

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