Abduction of Ukrainian children: pathways for repatriation with legal accountability

On Feb. 1, the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) held a webinar titled “The Long-Term Impact of Russia’s Abduction of Ukrainian Children”, focusing on systematic violations of international humanitarian law amid Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The discussion explored legal mechanisms for classifying deportation and forced relocation of children, holding perpetrators accountable, and international tools for returning affected children. Kateryna Rashevska, an expert in international humanitarian and criminal law, addressed participants’ questions.

Proving forced deportation and relocation

During the early months of the invasion, Ukrainian children were forcibly relocated due to widespread armed violence, including attacks on civilian areas and evacuation routes. Many children lost parents and homes and were left unaccompanied, often with shrapnel injuries.

With the opening of so-called filtration points, another reason for unaccompanied relocation was the forced separation of children from parents or legal guardians, who were detained and imprisoned.

Russian officials sometimes tried to shift responsibility to Ukraine and presented forced relocations as the only possible option, portraying them as neutral “humanitarian actions” or transfers to “safe places.” The focus was deliberately shifted from the cause of the relocation to its consequences, framed as “care for children” and protection of their best interests.

When children were transferred to Russian families, coercion included their inability to freely consent, conflicts with their best interests, and aggressive manipulation. Some children were too young to understand what was happening or the consequences of being placed with Russian families. Voluntary consent requires proper verification, but Russian restrictions prevent independent monitoring.

Children sent to “re-education camps” faced similar issues. Parental consent could not always be verified, and threats, including loss of parental rights, cast doubt on its validity. Orphans and children without parental care were relocated without Ukraine’s consent, violating international law.

Accountability

Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate has identified 346 individuals involved, from President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova to orphanage staff and occupation administration leaders.

Documented cases include hundreds of children from DPR and LPR orphanages before the full-scale invasion, the transfer of 31 children from Mariupol to Moscow Oblast, the abduction of 48 orphans from the Kherson regional orphanage, and over 2,000 children held in camps in occupied Crimea and southern Russia in late 2022 and early 2023. Around twenty individuals have been formally charged.

Challenges with Russia and international bodies

Russia does not respond to UN requests or other official inquiries. Contacts about the whereabouts of abducted children occur through intermediaries, including Qatar, South Africa, the Vatican, and individuals such as Melania Trump, initiated solely by Ukraine.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has mechanisms for locating missing persons, including children, but access to Russian-controlled territories is limited, and Russia does not always cooperate.

Information and resources

Materials, stories, and visuals are available on the UWC campaign page Stand with Ukraine: Protect Future Generations. 

Analytical reports can be read here and here. Updates are posted by Bring Kids Back UA, Save Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights.

Who to contact

Foreign representatives are advised to contact the Ombudsman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine or the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA.