Qatar announces agreements with Ukraine and Russia for exchange of 13 children
With Qatar's mediation, Ukraine and Russia will conduct the exchange of 13 children (photo: Getty Images)
Qatar announced that it has reached an agreement with Ukraine and Russia for the exchange of thirteen children who were displaced as a result of the war, under its auspices, reports Le Monde.
According to a Qatari official speaking to reporters, nine minors and one adult will be reunited with their families in Ukraine. He also added that four minors will be sent to their families in Russia as part of this exchange.
The agreement with both countries was announced in Doha on Thursday.
A source from Agence France-Presse (AFP) clarified that this involves nine Ukrainian children aged 12 to 17 and four Russian children aged 2 to 7.
In Doha, it was also mentioned that all of them would be welcomed at the Qatari embassy in Moscow before reuniting with their families in Ukraine and Russia.
This will mark another exchange between the countries facilitated by Qatar, which has been assisting in the repatriation of Ukrainian children relocated to Russia and Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories since the onset of the large-scale invasion in February 2022.
Notably, in April, Qatar helped Ukraine bring home four groups of children.
Ukraine returns children deported by Russia
Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, Russian forces have forcibly transported Ukrainian children to Belarus, occupied Crimea, or deeper into Russia. This has led to the issuance of an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court.
According to Ukrainian estimates, around 20,000 minors have been forcibly displaced to Russia, although the total number may be significantly higher, as this figure only accounts for officially identified children.
Additionally, Ukrainian authorities report that approximately 400 of these children have been repatriated to their homeland.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues its efforts to bring back its children from occupied territories. For instance, in September, another 10 Ukrainian children were successfully returned from occupied areas.
At the end of August, it was reported that five families with eight children had been returned from occupation. Furthermore, on August 22, six Ukrainian families with 12 children were repatriated from the occupied territories.
