The UN has recognised Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children as a crime against humanity
This was reported by the UN. The
UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has published a report confirming the systematic nature of the abduction of Ukrainian children by the Russian authorities.
According to the document, the forced transfer of thousands of minors from the occupied territories to Russia and Belarus is not only a war crime but also a crime against humanity.
Analysts emphasise that Vladimir Putin's "direct involvement" in this process was "obvious from the very beginning".
Although the Kremlin traditionally refers to the deportation as "rescue" from the combat zone, the UN has recorded 1,205 specific cases of children being taken away in 2022 alone.
As of today, 80% of these children remain in Russia, and their relatives often do not even know where their loved ones are.
The report describes in detail the mechanism of this crime. Children from the occupied parts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions were taken to the Russian Federation under the pretext of "evacuation," after which they were forcibly granted Russian citizenship and transferred to institutions or local families.
In such institutions, children are subjected to psychological pressure and cruel treatment.
One of the children said that the staff of the Russian orphanage convinced him that "Ukraine no longer exists, everything has burned down, and your parents are probably dead."
Official Kyiv notes that the total number of deportees may reach 20,000, of whom only 2,000 have been returned so far.
Those who managed to return home suffer from deep psychological trauma, anxiety and fear of loneliness.
"I am still looking for my daughter and I am terribly afraid of what she might think of me and how she is surviving in Russia, where many people hate Ukrainians," the report quotes the words of a mother who has lost contact with her child.
It should be recalled that, as a result of these actions, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in 2023 for Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
The latter publicly acknowledged the "re-education" of teenagers from Mariupol who did not want to go to Russia.
It is reported that US First Lady Melania Trump is trying to get involved in the process of reuniting families, having stated that she has an "open channel of communication" with the Kremlin on this issue.
The war, which has been going on for five years, has claimed the lives of more than 15,000 civilians, and the number of victims exceeds 41,000.
Despite numerous rounds of negotiations, the return of Ukrainian children remains one of the most difficult humanitarian issues of the conflict.
The integration, safety and return of children abducted by Russia were among the topics discussed during the visit of the newly appointed Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Rob Jetten, to Ukraine on 8 March, which highlighted the high level of dialogue and cooperation between the two countries.
Following the meeting, the parties signed a joint declaration.
US First Lady Melania Trump officially confirmed the continuation of contacts with representatives of Vladimir Putin.
The main goal of these negotiations is to return Ukrainian children who were taken away during the full-scale invasion to their homeland.
