Ukrainian children held in Russia: militarized, 'reeducated'

"In March, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine of the UN Human Rights Council found that Russia had systematically deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children. These activities violate international human rights laws provisions and are classified as war crimes as well as crimes against humanity. It also found that Russian authorities had "unjustifiably delayed" the repatriation of Ukrainian children, which counts as a separate war crime."

"Bring Kids Back UA, an initiative by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says it has records on about 20,570 abducted Ukrainian children. "And those are just the cases we have more or less sufficient data on," project leader Maksym Maksymov told DW. "The true number is likely much higher.""

"The numbers are difficult to verify, and media reports vary widely. Children who have been successfully repatriated to Ukraine will sometimes speak of other missing children not recorded in Ukraine's database. Identifying children and determining their whereabouts is additionally complicated by the lack of access to Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory."

""Russian authorities are arranging for children to be placed in the long-term care of Russian families and facilities," the office of Ukraine's prosecutor general told DW. "In doing so, they are violating international law which recognizes the right to reunification of families who have been separated in an armed conflict.""

The UN Human Rights Council’s commission found that Russia systematically deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children, violating international human rights law. These actions were classified as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The commission also found that Russia unjustifiably delayed repatriation, which constitutes a separate war crime. Bring Kids Back UA, an initiative associated with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has records on about 20,570 abducted Ukrainian children, though the true number is likely higher. Russian statements have suggested much larger figures, including 744,000 children received in 2023 and 46,000 Ukrainian children receiving Russian passports. Verification is difficult due to missing data, reports from repatriated children, and limited access to occupied territory.

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