A new United Nations report says Russia’s deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied areas amounts to both a war crime and a crime against humanity. The findings come from the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine.
The commission says Russian authorities have transferred thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. The report claims the actions were directed at the highest levels of the Russian government. It also says the involvement of Vladimir Putin was visible from the start of the operation.
Thousands of Children Still Missing
According to Ukraine, nearly 20,000 children have been taken to Russia or Belarus since the start of the conflict. The UN commission has documented at least 1,205 confirmed cases of deported children from territories seized by Russia in 2022.
The report says about 80% of these children have not yet returned home. Many families still do not know where their children are. Investigators say this situation qualifies as enforced disappearance.
Most of the children came from the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, areas currently controlled by Russian forces. Authorities in Moscow claimed they evacuated children from these regions to protect them from fighting.
Allegations of Forced Adoption and Citizenship
The UN report says many children were placed in Russian families or institutions and given Russian citizenship. Officials say these actions separated the children from their homeland and families.
Moscow has repeatedly denied accusations of forced deportation. President Putin has said the children were rescued from war zones and insisted they could return to Ukraine if requested.
However, Ukraine says the process of returning children has been extremely difficult. The report also says some children faced harsh treatment and psychological pressure while in Russia.
International Response and Ongoing War
In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova. They are accused of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
Ukraine says it has managed to bring back about 2,000 children so far. International organizations continue to push for the return of thousands more.
The war between Ukraine and Russia continues into its fifth year. The conflict has killed thousands of civilians and displaced millions across the region.
