11 Ukrainian Children Returned from Russia and Occupied Territories

Ukraine has accused Russia of taking eleven more Ukrainian children from Russian-held areas and parts of Russia without their families’ consent and bringing them back home. Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, shared the news on Telegram, stating that these children were returned as part of Ukraine’s “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative. According to Yermak, the children had been taken from temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine and Russian territory.

Among those returned were two brothers, aged 10 and 12, whose father, reportedly, died after being tortured for expressing pro-Ukrainian views. Also brought back was a pregnant mother, who Ukraine claims had been prevented from leaving the occupied territories because she refused to accept Russian identity papers, along with her 2-year-old child. She later gave birth in an area controlled by Ukraine. Yermak thanked Ukraine’s ombudsman office for assisting in the children’s return, but Russian authorities have not commented on the matter.

Ukraine has repeatedly claimed that more than 19,500 children have been forcibly taken to Russia or Russian-occupied areas since the war began. They describe these actions as war crimes, even labeling them as potential genocide under international law. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of involvement in the abduction of Ukrainian children. However, the Kremlin has denied these allegations, asserting that the children were taken for their safety from conflict zones.