The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has called on Russia to cease the forced relocation of children from occupied areas in Ukraine, a practice that violates international law, and to reunite them with their families.
According to Kyiv, approximately 20,000 children have been moved from Ukraine to Russia without the consent of their families or guardians.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is seeking to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of illegal deportation, allegations that the Kremlin denies.
In its report on Russia, the UN Committee emphasized the need for Moscow to provide detailed information about the exact number of children deported from Ukraine and their current whereabouts to facilitate their identification and repatriation.
Moscow, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has rejected these accusations, claiming it was merely protecting children at risk in a conflict zone.
The Committee also stated that Russia must ensure that no child is deprived of their Ukrainian nationality, maintaining their identity, name, and family ties. In March, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, accusing them of illegally deporting children from Ukraine.
The ICC’s Chief Prosecutor stated that Russia had deported “at least hundreds” of children from orphanages and care homes in the occupied Ukrainian territories, many of whom were subsequently put up for adoption. The Kremlin has dismissed the ICC’s allegations as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
