Abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia
Source: OSCE PA
Sources provide varying estimates of the number of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported to Russia: 19,546 have been confirmed by Ukraine, while the Yale Laboratory for Humanitarian Studies estimates the figure to be around 35,000. Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner (wanted by the International Criminal Court), stated that over 700,000 Ukrainian children had been “resettled” to Russia, while her Ukrainian counterpart, Daria Gerasymchuk, estimates the actual number to be between 200,000 and 300,000. Russia consistently refuses to provide Ukraine or other international parties with any data on displaced children, which constitutes a violation of international law and makes it virtually impossible to verify the actual number of deported children.
Among the Ukrainian children deported to Russia are those with identified or known parents or legal guardians, those without such individuals, and children under the care of Ukrainian state institutions. Their ages range from a few months to 17 years.
Russian authorities cite a number of reasons for these deportations, including cultural exchange programs, evacuation from combat zones, medical care, and trips to recreational summer camps and military-patriotic camps. Under any or several of these pretexts, children are being transferred to facilities in Russia, to Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, or to Belarus, which is allied with Russia.
View document ➚
Sources provide varying estimates of the number of Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported to Russia: 19,546 have been confirmed by Ukraine, while the Yale Laboratory for Humanitarian Studies estimates the figure to be around 35,000. Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Children’s Rights Commissioner (wanted by the International Criminal Court), stated that over 700,000 Ukrainian children had been “resettled” to Russia, while her Ukrainian counterpart, Daria Gerasymchuk, estimates the actual number to be between 200,000 and 300,000. Russia consistently refuses to provide Ukraine or other international parties with any data on displaced children, which constitutes a violation of international law and makes it virtually impossible to verify the actual number of deported children.
Among the Ukrainian children deported to Russia are those with identified or known parents or legal guardians, those without such individuals, and children under the care of Ukrainian state institutions. Their ages range from a few months to 17 years.
Russian authorities cite a number of reasons for these deportations, including cultural exchange programs, evacuation from combat zones, medical care, and trips to recreational summer camps and military-patriotic camps. Under any or several of these pretexts, children are being transferred to facilities in Russia, to Russian-occupied territory in Ukraine, or to Belarus, which is allied with Russia.
View document ➚
This is an automatic translation generated by DeepL.