The EU Has Sanctioned 16 Russian Officials For Abducting Over 20,000 Ukrainian Children During The War
"Children are forced to forget who they are, where they come from and even their language."
The European Union has sanctioned 16 officials and seven Russian institutions for abducting Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine and putting them through programs designed to make them “Russian.”
Russia has controlled parts of Ukraine since its full-scale invasion in February 2022, its authorities have forcibly removed nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children from those areas and moved them deeper into Russia since.
Some children were removed from orphanages and care homes while others were separated from their parents during military operations or evacuations.
After being moved to Russia, many had their documents changed and enrolled in camps and schools run by the Russian state, where they were taught to identify as Russian, trained in military activities and taught pro-Russian ideology.
Russia has denied the transfers were unlawful, saying it was moving children away from active combat zones for their safety.
Russia's own children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, has publicly admitted to arranging for deported Ukrainian children to be placed with Russian families and even adopted a Ukrainian child herself.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for both Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing them of being personally responsible for the deportations.
About 2,200 children have been returned to Ukraine so far, but reunification is difficult as many children have had their identities changed, and Russian authorities have concealed their whereabouts within the Russian system, according to the EU.
On May 11, the EU imposed new sanctions on the 16 individuals and seven entities, including Russian federal youth camps and a naval school in Crimea, freezing their assets and banning them from entering EU territory.
"This is a deliberate Russian policy aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity. Children are forced to forget who they are, where they come from and even their language," Ukraine's foreign minister said.
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Cherry Mohamed
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Cherry Mohamed
