As many as 35,000 Ukrainian children are forcibly relocated and still missing, with some believed to be in Russia or in Russian-occupied areas. This shocking circumstance has raised international concern. The International Criminal Court has already issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children’s commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, widespread and credible allegations have emerged of Russian forces’ abduction of children. They have snatched children from orphanages, war zones and right out of their parents’ arms.
First, Ukrainian children are being abducted en masse. This is not simply an act of war; it operates under the umbrella of a larger strategy to Russify them. Reports indicate that abducted children are being sent to military camps or foster care, with some even being adopted by Russian families. For its part, Ukraine has brought the return of these children to the forefront of its demands in any forthcoming peace negotiations.
Nathaniel Raymond, an expert on war crimes, remarked, “This is likely the largest child abduction in war since World War Two – comparable to the Germanification of Polish children by the Nazis.” The chilling truth is that countless children who were rescued have shared disturbing stories of what happened to them during this time spent in captivity. These children reported undergoing military training and being beaten for speaking Ukrainian.
“We had to sing the Russian anthem and draw the tricolour.” – a 9-year-old rescued child
Activists are extremely concerned that most of the stolen children might vanish into Russia’s adoption system. This worry deepens in light of the recent amendments to Russian laws that allow for the adoption of Ukrainian children by Russian citizens. Based on statements from the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Bring Kids Back, only 1,366 children have been returned, or fled back to Ukraine.
Ukrainian officials have kept up the pressure on Russia to release the abducted children. Daria Kasyanova, chair of the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, asserts that these children are being used as bargaining chips in negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. She calls for accountability, and she speaks to the human cost on families affected by these kidnappings.
Natalia, a Kherson mother, told her frightening story of sending her boys to summer camp in Anapa, Russia. After Russian forces occupied her city in September 2022, she thought the journey would be short-term and secure. When she was finally able to check her 21-day stay was up, her sons. Each time, Russian authorities denied them departure, claiming that she has to be there with them.
“The 21-day trip was free and they were meant to return to Kherson at the end. The boys wanted to go too, but it was a big mistake on my part to allow it.” – Natalia
She went on to share the mental anguish she suffered in her pursuit to be reunited with her kids. After passing through six Ukrainian border posts and other war-time procedures, Natalia was finally able to be reunited with them in February 2023.
Ksenia, an evacuation specialist on the frontline of evacuations from occupied Ukraine, framed the bigger picture of these abductions. She stated, “We are discussing territories – and our people, our children, are our territories. How can we give them up?” This feeling is surfacing all over Ukraine as the unthinkable reality of families losing their children sits heavy on hearts and minds in a country that continues to war.
In response to international outcry, Russian officials have scoffed at demands to return these children. An official accused Ukraine of “staging a show on the topic of lost children” during ceasefire talks in Turkey, further complicating any potential resolution.
Raymond emphasized the change in Russia’s approach to these child abductions. Initially aimed at quick victories, he noted that “when Russians started out, they thought they were going to be victorious quickly,” leading to a program designed not just for abduction but for Russification. As the situation evolved on the battlefield, he indicated that Russia started using all of these children as bargaining chips in negotiations.
“But because things started to go south quickly, they had to move their propaganda from the liability concealment phase to using these children as hostages to be leveraged in the negotiations.” – Nathaniel Raymond