Around 400 forcibly deported Ukrainian children handed over to Russian families
Russia has deported between 260,000 and nearly 700,000 Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. Most were deported together with their legal representatives.
Source: Presentation of an analytical report on the deportation of Ukrainian citizens to Russia and Belarus
Details: According to Russian sources, there are currently more than 4 million Ukrainians in Russia. These are mainly people from Mariupol and Kherson who were deported at the time of the full-scale invasion. Deportations had been taking place in the temporarily occupied territories [in Donetsk and Luhansk – ed.] prior to 24 February 2022.
"Deportation includes several stages and war crimes: torture, inhumane treatment, filtration camps that preceded deportation," said Alyona Lunyova, director of advocacy at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre.
Many of the deportees are minors. Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer at the Regional Center for Human Rights, states that according to various sources, Russia has deported between 260,000 and nearly 700,000 minors, as well as 1,500 to 2,500 orphans. At least 400 children have already become members of Russian families.
"Children have been deported to at least 57 oblasts of Russia. Their locations vary enormously: Sakhalin, Astrakhan, Murmansk, Dagestan," said Rashevska.
She added that the purpose of these actions being perpetrated by Russia is the genocide of the Ukrainian people and nation.
Background: The Russian Children's Ombudsman claimed that deported children from Mariupol had allegedly begun to love Russia.
More on this story: Russian Federation "hands over" 108 Ukrainian orphans from Donbas to Russian families
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