UN declares Russia's kidnapping of Ukrainian children a war crime
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An independent UN commission has declared that Russia's forced displacement of Ukrainian children constitutes a war crime. Such actions also bear the hallmarks of a crime against humanity.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has stated that Russia's deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The commission's report notes that investigators have verified compelling evidence of the deportation or displacement of at least 1,205 children from five regions of Ukraine to Russia or its occupied territories. These facts led to the conclusion that the deportation and forced transportation of children constitute war crimes.
The commission also found that the Russian authorities often did not inform parents or legal guardians of the whereabouts of their children and created obstacles to their return. Instead, attempts were made to place the children in long-term residence with families or institutions in Russia.
According to the investigation, most of these children have not yet returned to the territory controlled by Ukraine, and the process of their return is accompanied by significant difficulties.
The report emphasizes that Russia's delay in returning the deported children can also be considered a separate war crime.
In February this year, the UN raised the issue of Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children and promised to rectify the situation.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on suspicion of the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children.
