Ukraine has successfully brought home 12 children who were forcefully taken to Russia, according to Andriy Yermak, Chief of Staff to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The announcement was made late on Monday via Yermak’s Telegram channel.
The operation was conducted under President Zelenskiy’s “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative, which aims to return all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly deported during the ongoing war.
Among the 12 children brought back was a 16-year-old girl who lost her mother, a 17-year-old boy who had been issued a summons to the Russian army, and an eight-year-old girl. Yermak did not provide further details on the rescue operation.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both countries have engaged in multiple exchanges to reunite displaced children with their families. However, Kyiv maintains that over 19,500 children have been unlawfully taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories without parental or guardian consent. Ukraine considers these abductions a war crime that meets the United Nations treaty definition of genocide.
Moscow, on the other hand, has denied these claims, insisting that children were evacuated voluntarily to protect them from the conflict.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Reintegration reports that, to date, 388 children have been successfully returned. The international community has widely condemned Russia’s actions, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing arrest warrants in March 2023 for Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, and President Vladimir Putin. The warrants accuse them of being responsible for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.
Russia dismissed the ICC’s decision as “outrageous and unacceptable” and has yet to respond to the latest development regarding the return of the 12 children. The office of Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights also did not immediately comment when contacted outside of business hours.
The Bring Kids Back UA initiative remains a central part of Ukraine’s efforts to repatriate children taken during the war. While each successful recovery represents a victory, thousands more children remain in Russian-controlled areas, separated from their families.
Ukraine continues to push for international pressure on Russia to facilitate the safe return of all abducted children, arguing that their forced removal is not just a crime against the country but also a violation of fundamental human rights.
Melissa Enoch
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