Ukraine liberates 373 children from Russia, but number of deportees may reach 300,000

Ukraine has brought back 373 children from Russia; there is precise information about the deportation of 19,499 children, but the number may reach 200,000-300,000.

Source: Daria Herasymchuk, Advisor and President’s Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine

Details: She said that 373 children had been brought back to Ukraine from Russia as of 19 June. Meanwhile, Ukraine has accurate information about 19,499 deported children. Herasymchuk noted that this number could reach 200,000-300,000.

Quote: "We estimate that there may be 200-300,000 children whom they could have used. Why can't we give an exact figure? Firstly, the territories are occupied.

There is no accurate information on what happened to the children. Only after the liberation of a settlement can we have accurate information about whether there is a family with a particular child there. If they're not there, we will start looking for them.

... We are looking for children even after the information is verified through the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the National Police, the Security Service of Ukraine, and the Office of the Prosecutor General. After a detailed check, the information is addedto the register of the National Information Bureau.

Therefore, as for 19,499 children, we have personal data on each of them, we understand who these children are and where they were abducted from. However, this does not mean we know where this child is."

More details: She said, "There is currently no single mechanism for the recovery of Ukrainian children". Russia does not recognise these children as captured, detained, deported or forcibly displaced, calling it "evacuation".

She emphasised that "negotiations mean that Ukraine is exchanging someone for someone or making some kind of agreement".

Quote: "But we have no Russian children. We have not detained any of them, we have not evacuated any of them. This means that we have no one to exchange them for. The Russians should just give the children back immediately. That's the point.

... Therefore, these 373 children were also not brought back through negotiations. There have never been any agreements or organised groups on the Russian side. Everything is now happening in a "manual mode". That is why it's going so slowly. Unfortunately, each time we are talking about a separate, elaborate special operation to rescue almost every one of our children."

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