Eight Ukrainian Children Taken By Russia-Backed Authorities Have Returned Home, Official Says

Eight Ukrainian children who were seized from their families in Russian-controlled Crimea and placed in state orphanages have returned home, a senior Ukrainian official confirmed on Thursday.

Darina Zarivna, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said the children had been taken while receiving treatment in a hospital and later subjected to bullying and forced participation in pro-Russian patriotism exercises. She added that they were made to handle weapons and prepare for war.

“Their story is an example of the systemic harshness of the occupiers. They were forcibly taken from their mothers during a hospital stay and (the mothers) were obliged under threat to turn them over to an orphanage,” Zarivna wrote on Telegram. “All this is part of Russia’s policy aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity.”

She did not provide details on how the children were rescued or where they are now. Russian authorities have not commented on the matter.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin over war crimes charges related to the abduction of Ukrainian children, allegations that the Kremlin has denied.

Earlier this week, Andriy Yermak, Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, announced that 12 other children who had been forcibly taken to Russia had also returned to Ukraine. Both Kyiv and Moscow have carried out exchanges to reunite children with their families since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Ukraine estimates that over 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territory without family or guardian consent, calling the abductions a war crime that meets the UN’s definition of genocide.

Melissa Enoch

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