More than 19,000 Ukrainian children taken by Russia
Russia is carrying out a state policy of large-scale forced displacement of Ukrainian children. At least 19,546 children are known to have been taken to Russia and Belarus or forcibly transferred within the occupied territories of Ukraine.
This was stated in an exclusive comment to an Ukrinform correspondent in The Hague by Wayne Jordash, president of the Global Rights Compliance (GRC) foundation. He stressed that crimes against children during war must trigger a global response, as children are the most vulnerable group of victims.
“In Ukraine, Russia is implementing a state policy of large-scale relocation of Ukrainian children. According to official data, at least 19,546 children have been deported to Russia and Belarus or subjected to mass forced transfer within the occupied territories of Ukraine. Hundreds of children, including orphans and children separated from their families, have been illegally placed for adoption in Russia or sent to Russian families, while others are sent to ‘rehabilitation’ or re-education camps in a systematic attempt to alter their identity,” Jordash said.
He added that the GRC team is supporting Ukrainian law enforcement, including documenting crimes against children, and is working with the Office of the Prosecutor General as part of the EU-funded Mobile Justice Teams (MJT), which operate under the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group for Ukraine (ACA).
“At GRC, our child justice team works on investigating conflict-related crimes affecting children, using victim-centred, child-sensitive, trauma-informed approaches. In Ukraine, as part of the EU-funded mobile justice teams and in partnership with the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, we also cooperate with the Child Interests Protection Department of the Office of the Prosecutor General,” Jordash explained.
According to him, the disappearance of children requires a global response:
“That is why we organized today’s panel discussion — to raise awareness about this pattern of abuse and share expertise to develop joint, victim-centred strategies to ensure justice and accountability.”
