Over 2,000 Ukrainian children illegally taken to Russia

IRYNA BALACHUK — TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2022, 17:28

The Russian invaders illegally took at least 2,100 Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation; previously, these kids had lacked parental care.

Source: Suspilne [Ukraine’s public broadcaster], referring to Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk

Quote from Vereshchuk: "[Based on] What we know from intelligence sources, we are talking about 2,161 children. This is what we know as of 1 September. These are children who were in care - we call them "status children". It is very difficult to say how many children [actually have] parents. We have already brought 55 of them back, by the way [to the territory controlled by Ukraine]." 

Details: The Deputy Prime Minister says that the task now is to find the deported children and to demand that Russia bring them back.

She explained that the authorities are checking all the information and facts regarding the kidnapped children, and they are urgently contacting the Russian Federation, which committed the crime.

Vereshchuk added that Russia is trying to arrange guardianship for some of the Ukrainian children, but such actions are unacceptable.

"As a state, we did not allow [anyone] to adopt or in any way to establish the residence of our children on the territory of the aggressor state. We demand the return of our children, we appeal to the international community with the demand to do everything to make Russia pay, i.e. by strengthening sanctions, for the fact that today our children are being kept illegally on the territory of the Russian Federation," Vereshchuk concluded.

Background: Vereshchuk reported earlier that Ukraine had been able to bring 53 children back from Russia.  

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