Ukraine's Deputy FM slams Putin aide's claim on stolen children
Photo: First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya (Getty Images)
First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya strongly refuted Vladimir Medinsky’s cynical claims about "dozens" of abducted Ukrainian children, stressing that the real number involves thousands of illegally deported minors, according to Kyslytsya’s remarks during an appearance on Nataliia Moseichuk’s podcast.
Kyslytsya strongly pushed back against Russia’s narrative during international negotiations, where Russian officials asserted that there was no mass deportation of Ukrainian children, claiming instead that the issue concerned only a few dozen or perhaps a hundred.
He called this position disgraceful and completely disconnected from reality.
Russia conceals tragedy's scale
Kyslytsya stressed that Russia is deliberately downplaying the scale of the tragedy, denying what is evident: the abduction of thousands of Ukrainian children.
He added that these statements are part of the Kremlin’s propaganda machine, which operates in a parallel reality detached from the truth and human suffering. Through this targeted propaganda, Russian officials attempt to justify their crimes on the international stage.
He emphasized that these are not just lies, but brazen attempts to ignore a tragedy that has affected thousands of Ukrainian families during the war.
Undeniable numbers
According to official data as of June 2025, more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been deported to Russia or to temporarily occupied territories. Fewer than 400 of them have been returned home, and only through complex international and humanitarian operations.
Violation of international law
Russia systematically ignores requests for the whereabouts of abducted children, refuses to cooperate, and conceals information - all in violation of the Geneva Conventions and other norms of international humanitarian law.
Kyslytsya emphasized that denying the scale of the deportations is not only deceitful but a cynical devaluation of the suffering endured by thousands of Ukrainian families.
During recent negotiations in Istanbul, Russia reportedly offered to return 10 abducted children by July 10.
It also emerged that Russian negotiators made shocking statements, including denying the existence of a Ukrainian nation and describing the war in Ukraine as a "conflict between Russians."
More details on the talks can be found in RBC-Ukraine’s full report.
