Nearly 4,400 Ukrainian orphans have been forcibly deported to Russia

A total of 4,390 Ukrainian orphans and children from special institutions for children without parental care are currently in Russia or on temporarily Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine.

Source: Iryna Vereshchuk, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, on air of the national joint newscast

Details: Vereshchuk said that Ukraine is handing over all evidence related to the abduction of Ukrainian children to the International Criminal Court (ICC). This includes evidence obtained by Ukraine’s Prosecutor’s Office, defence intelligence, police, and Security Service.

Sometimes Russian officials confirm instances of abduction of Ukrainian children. 

Quote from Vereshchuk: "When someone like Lvova-Belova [Maria Lvova-Belova, Russian Presidential Commissioner for Children's Affairs - ed.] adopts a child, a child that we as a country demanded to repatriate to Ukraine… And instead this child is adopted and [the Russians] boast about it in front of the whole world – this is a case when we essentially don’t need to prove anything. They have provided ample evidence of their own crime. They will be held responsible for it."

Details: Vereshchuk also said that Ukraine was counting on the international community to put pressure on the aggressor country.

Quote from Vereshchuk: "We are counting on the international community, on the fact that it will impose sanctions, put pressure on, and hold responsible everyone involved in the crime of genocide against our children. There is ample evidence. We hope that our efforts and the pressure of the international community will allow us to expedite the process of bringing our children back [to Ukraine]."

Background:  A data collection system maintained by the Government of Ukraine indicated that 16,221 children had been deported to the Russian Federation as of the end of February 2023. The UN Human Rights Council reported 164 incidents of transfer of Ukrainian children by Russian citizens.

The Dity Viiny (Children of War) platform estimates the number of Ukrainian children deported by Russians to be around 700,000.

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