Ukraine has accused Russia of illegally abducting over 19,000 Ukrainian children and forcibly transporting them to Russia amid the ongoing war.
Andriy Yermak, the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, stated, “Russia has committed atrocious crimes in its war against Ukraine, but the forced deportation and kidnapping of children, our most vulnerable, is one of the most heinous crimes against humanity since World War II,” according to the statement.
These figures are based on statistics provided by the United Nations (UN). It is reported that approximately 3,900 of these children are orphans or without parents.
Yermak charged Russia with systematically deporting and resettling Ukrainian children as part of a state policy aimed at erasing their identities.
Moscow has consistently refused to provide Ukraine or international bodies with information about the fate of these children.
Until now, the repatriation of Ukrainian children to their homeland has only been possible in isolated cases.
Russia unleashed a barrage of supersonic missiles and guided rockets on Ukrainian targets yesterday, conducting a large-scale attack on areas near the frontline in the east, as well as in central and western parts of the country.
Reports indicated that at least four civilians were killed, with over 30 others injured. Moscow stated that its forces “used long-range precision missiles launched from sea or air” and evacuated approximately 300 residents from a border town with Ukraine, which has been under threat of retaliatory attacks.
