Russians prepare new wave of Ukrainian children's mass deportation
Illustrative photo (Photo: Getty Images)
The occupying administrations in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine have been instructed to prepare new lists of children who lack guardianship. This is how the Russians plan to carry out another wave of deportations, according to the National Resistance Center (NRC).
"The occupiers refuse to return children to Ukraine, even when their relatives are present in the free territory, and they facilitate the adoption process of these children in the Russian Federation. The aim is the assimilation of Ukrainian children, essentially the destruction of an entire generation of the nation," highlighted by National Resistance Center.
The statement underscores that the primary responsibility for these actions lies with the dictator of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and his subordinate, the authorized representative for children's rights under the President of the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova. It was under their directives that tens of thousands of Ukrainian children were unlawfully taken from Ukrainian territory.
Leading figures in the global community collectively condemn such actions, referring to them as a deliberate element of the genocide of the Ukrainian people.
It's worth noting that recently it became known that the leader of the Russian party Fair Russia, Sergei Mironov, adopted a girl abducted in 2022 from Kherson and changed her name. Additionally, at that time, his wife took a 2-year-old boy to Russia, who is currently located near Moscow.
Deportation of Ukrainian children
In October 2022, the Russian children's rights ombudsman, Maria Lvova-Belova, unlawfully adopted a child deported from Mariupol to Russia. Furthermore, she assisted in the illegal adoption of another 350 children from the occupied Donbas.
These actions are considered crimes according to international law. In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. Currently, 123 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute or recognized the jurisdiction of the ICC are obligated to arrest Putin.
Despite this, Russian forces continue to deport Ukrainian children, some of whom Ukraine manages to bring back. For instance, a 17-year-old teenager, Bohdan Yermokhin, recently returned to Ukraine. He was deported to Russia and was handed a conscription notice for service in the occupant's army. He sought help from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who assisted in his return home.
