These children, including those with special needs, were taken out of Ukriana under the pretext of being rescued from fighting, but then began to be placed with Russian families, including with the involvement of officials.
Russian authorities forcibly removed 46 Ukrainian children from an orphanage in Kherson after launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
This is revealed in a new investigation by The New York Times. According to the journalists, the children were sent to camps and sanatoriums in Russia. The article notes: “Russian authorities claim to be rescuing children from fighting.”
Ukrainian authorities and international organizations are trying to trace and return the children back to Ukraine, but many of them still remain in Russia.
Experts and human rights activists view these actions as a possible war crime that violates international norms and human rights. The article cites the experts’ opinion: “Forced transfer of children from the occupied territories is a violation of the Geneva Conventions.”
According to NYT journalists, such abductions are part of a fierce campaign to destroy Ukrainian identity, as the Russian adoption program is aimed at integrating children into Russian society and instilling Russian “values” in them.
Seven children from the Kherson orphanage returned to Ukraine with the help of the Ukrainian authorities and third-party Qatari intermediaries.
