The Ukrainian authorities announced that they managed to return 12 children who were forcibly deported to Russia. This was made possible thanks to the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky "Bring Kids Back UA", the head of the presidential office, Andriy Yermak, reported, quoted by Reuters and BTA.
“Through the efforts of the program, the return of 12 children who were under the pressure of the Russian occupation was achieved“, Yermak wrote in his message on the application “Telegram“ yesterday.
Among the returned children are a 16-year-old girl who lost her mother, a 17-year-old boy drafted into the Russian army, and an 8-year-old child. The program aims to return children forcibly deported to Russia during the war.
The press service of the Russian Commissioner for Children's Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said she had no information about the return of these children. She added that her office had participated in reuniting families in Ukraine with the help of international mediators when additional assistance was needed to resolve legal and logistical issues.
Since the start of the war in February 2022, Moscow and Kiev have held several exchanges of children to reunite with their families. Ukraine claims that more than 19,500 children were forcibly taken to Russia or occupied territories, defining this as a war crime and genocide under the UN definition. Russia, for its part, says it evacuated the children at their own request and to protect them from the fighting zone.
To date, Kiev has managed to return 388 children, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Reintegration.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin over deportations of Ukrainian children, which Russia condemned as “unacceptable”.