Supporters of “Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria” (DSB) commemorated the children killed during the ongoing war in Ukraine by arranging a display of children’s shoes in front of the Russian Embassy in Sofia. Each pair of shoes was accompanied by labels indicating the ages of the victims from cities including Poltava, Kyiv, Kramatorsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Odesa, highlighting the impact of missile strikes, drone attacks, and artillery shelling. Posters alongside the display bore the inscription, “669 innocent children. They will never grow up,” emphasizing the human toll of the conflict.

Opposite the embassy, a billboard declared “Russia is a terrorist state!” and listed statistics on civilian deaths, injuries, and the children killed or kidnapped since the start of the war in February 2022. DSB underlined the moral responsibility of holding Russia accountable for these atrocities, stating that four years ago, the world awoke to a conflict that has caused unimaginable suffering. Homes were destroyed, families broken, and children forced to live under constant danger, experiencing cold, darkness, and terror. According to the party, more than 14,999 civilians and 669 children have died, with over 19,546 children kidnapped - numbers that cannot fully convey the human pain of the war.

DSB emphasized that Bulgaria’s support for Ukraine is a conscious decision grounded in principles of human dignity, freedom, democracy, and the rule of law - values that underpin the European Union. The party condemned calls for neutrality or detachment, arguing that Ukrainians have been paying the cost so that Europe can remain secure and free. DSB pledged that Bulgaria would continue to stand with Ukraine for as long as necessary, asserting that Ukraine’s fight is for both its own survival and for the protection of broader European values.

Referencing Bulgaria’s history, DSB Chairman Atanas Atanasov noted the upcoming March 3 anniversary and recalled that Ukrainians made up the main part of the liberation army during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, drawing a historical connection to Bulgaria’s enduring solidarity with Ukraine.