Children who have lost their parents are being deported: the occupiers have taken orphans away from Mariupol
Mykhailo Zahorodnii, Ukrainska Pravda. Zhyttia, 31 MAY 2022
The Russians began to take children out of occupied Mariupol to an unknown destination.
The occupation authorities are trying to identify and gather children in the city who became orphans or lost their parents during the occupation, said the adviser to the Mayor of Mariupol, Petro Andriushchenko.
"In particular, it is known that about 15 children who were sheltered by Mariupol residents at Prospekt Meotidy were taken away by 18 Russian servicemen to an unknown destination," Andriushchenko said.
He added that Ukraine is currently working to determine where they were taken and the condition of Ukrainian orphans and lost children.
More than 232,000 children have been deported to Russia since the beginning of the war, but the exact number can’t be confirmed due to hostilities and temporary occupation.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has signed a decree simplifying the issuing of Russian citizenship to Ukrainian orphans or those left without parental care.
"Guardians" or "organisations" to which abducted Ukrainian children have been handed over will be able to claim Russian citizenship for them.
