Kyiv urges Russians not to adopt Ukraine's 'stolen' children

Millions of people have been forced to flee Russia's war on its neighbor for the past 13 months. This includes families as well as children. It is difficult to determine the true number of children deported to Russia.

In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC), issued a arrest warrant against Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova–Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. They were accused of war crime, illegally deporting hundreds from Ukraine.

Vereshchuk stated on Telegram that orphans were "stolen" in Ukraine and given up for adoption by Russia.

Vereshchuk, the social affairs coordinator, said: "I strongly recommend Russian citizens not to adopt Ukrainian orphans illegally taken from the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine."

"Once more, I remind all Russian "adoptive parents" and "guardians": sooner or later, you will have to answer."

According to the Ministry of Integration of Occupied Territories of Ukraine, 19 514 Ukrainian children are illegally deported at present.

Russia has not hidden a programme that brought thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia. However, it presents it as a humanitarian campaign for the protection of orphans and abandoned children in conflict zones.

The majority of movement of children and people occurred during the first few months after the war, before Ukraine launched its major counter offensive to regain the east and southern occupied territories in late August.

Russia's defense ministry stated in August that 3.5 million people were brought to Russia, which includes more than half a billion children.

In July, the United States stated that Russia 260,000 children were "forcibly removed" from their Russian homes.

Russian TASS agency cited Vitaly Ganchev (a Moscow-installed official in Russia-occupied Kharkiv regions) as saying Tuesday that a group children from the region were sent to Russia last summer with their consent.

"The children are in good care, and they have all the necessary amenities. Ganchev said that we will continue to care for them until their parents return."

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