Russians change names and surnames of Ukrainian children while adopting
Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets (facebook.com)
Ukraine documented the first case of changes in the personal data of a Ukrainian child during the illegal adoption by Russian citizens, according to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Dmytro Lubinets.
According to him, the leader of one of the Russian parties, Sergey Mironov, and his wife Inna Varlamova "adopted" a child taken from Ukraine. The media previously reported that 10-month-old Marharyta Prokopenko was in a children's home in Kherson during the occupation of the city by the Russian army.
She was taken to Russia for "examinations and rehabilitation." After that, according to media reports, the girl's name and citizenship were changed.
"Marharyta became 'Marina Mironova'! It is also known that, probably, together with the girl, they took a two-year-old boy, Illia Vashchenko. His fate is currently unknown," the ombudsman reported.
Lubinets notes that the adoption of Ukrainian children in the Russian Federation is illegal. According to international and national norms, foreigners must inform Ukraine and obtain consent to adopt a Ukrainian child.
"However, Russia is trying to bypass and forcibly grants Russian citizenship to Ukrainian children. It is also a crime! I remind you: the forced displacement of children from one ethnic group to another is genocide!" he stressed.
The ombudsman adds that at least this fact is already a reason for further legal actions.
"The international community must react to the war crime of Russians and help return the children kidnapped by Russia!" he added.
Deportation of Ukrainian children
In October 2022, the Russian ombudsman for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, adopted a child deported from Mariupol to Russia. She also assisted in the illegal adoption of another 350 children from the occupied Donbas.
Such actions are considered crimes, as evidenced by international law. In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin and ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. At this time, Putin is obligated to be arrested in 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute or recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Despite this fact, Russian forces continue to deport Ukrainian children, some of whom Ukraine manages to bring back. For example, 17-year-old Bohdan Yermokhin returned to Ukraine. He was deported to Russia and attempted to be conscripted into the occupying army. He sought help from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and was assisted in returning home.
