russia continues to deport and forcibly transfer Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, but it has changed its tactics compared with the first years of the full-scale war. Children are now more often taken away in small groups, sent to russian “camps” or for “education,” separated from their parents, and placed under the guardianship of russian citizens. Maxym Maksymov, head of Bring Kids Back UA, said this in an interview with interfax.com.ua.
Ukraine does not know the exact number of Ukrainian children whom russia has taken away or continues to hold in the occupied territories. According to Maksymov, only the russian side has complete data, but it does not provide that information and changes the children’s personal details.
“Verifying a single case is difficult and time-consuming: it is necessary to confirm the child’s identity, the circumstances of the transfer, the parents’ status, and who the child’s legal representative is in Ukraine,” Maksymov said.According to him, the information has to be checked against several independent datasets because russia does not provide Ukraine with the necessary details.
In 2022–2023, one of the main mechanisms involved the mass removal of children in large groups, particularly from boarding schools, orphanages, and hospitals. Now, Maksymov said, russians more often move children in small groups, and in some cases the children do not even have to leave the occupied territories.
Maksymov identified the mechanisms currently used by russia as trips by children to russian “recreation camps,” sending them to russia for “education,” separating them from their parents during filtration procedures, appointing russian guardians, and subsequently placing the children under guardianship, in foster families, or for adoption.
“Some transfers are presented as supposedly voluntary. Parents are threatened with the termination of their parental rights or the removal of their child if the child does not attend a russian school, take part in militarized programs, or go to camps,” said the head of Bring Kids Back UA.
According to him, under such circumstances, the parents’ formal consent is often the result of coercion.
If this requirement is not fulfilled, the child may be removed from the family and placed in a russian boarding school or orphanage.
“If the parents have been killed, gone missing, are being held captive, have been separated from the child, or have been deprived of their parental rights, the occupation authorities appoint a russian legal representative for the child,” Maksymov explained.
According to him, such a representative subsequently gains the ability to make decisions concerning the child. If the child is residing in an institution, its director may become the representative and, among other things, may decide whether the child should acquire russian citizenship.
