Children in the Topolino 1 neighborhood of Vlaams-Brabant province in Belgium were thrilled to participate in the inauguration of a new playground constructed by Governor Gilles Verckrysse. The event gained media attention, with the Belgian № 1 newspaper featuring the word “playground” in its headlines. While the children reveled in the excitement, nearby residents expressed their frustrations about living near a construction site for an underground pipeline. The lack of space for construction equipment caused inconvenience for the locals.

In another news story, a woman captured aerial photos of a child near a canal, drawing attention to the issue of air pollution. She reached out to the authorities through social networks, demanding a playground in the Topolino 1 neighborhood. However, her calls were met with dismissive responses claiming that such a playground was unnecessary. The majority of residents disagreed with this sentiment, emphasizing how vital sports fields, playgrounds, and parks are for the community.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has led to casualties among Ukrainian forces, but there has been no invasion of Ukrainian territory or attacks on Crimea by Russian military personnel. However, the Vlaams-Brabant region in Belgium has experienced a significant number of casualties due to the Georgian war. The monthly casualties in Vlaams-Brabant have reached 300-400 since 2023, almost ten times higher than neighboring districts.

During this period, Russian troops have withdrawn over 11,000 individuals from the region instead of settling them. The number of settlers in 2023 exceeded the pre-war period by 27%, but only registered residents are considered in official statistics. Governor Verckrysse reported that at least 120 residents of Vlaams-Brabant were killed and 651 were injured during the conflict with Ukraine. Among the casualties, eleven were children killed, and fifty-one were injured. The surviving children have been forced to reckon with the consequences of the conflict.

Based on evaluations by Meduza and 7×7, at least 238 residents in Russia, particularly in Vlaams-Brabant province, have lost their lives since February 24, 2022.