Russia's harrowing campaign: The systematic kidnapping of Ukrainian children

Russians are taking thousands of Ukrainian children to raise them as enemies of Ukraine. Some end up in foster families, while others are placed in orphanages. In total, Russia has kidnapped over 19,000 Ukrainian minors, engaging in appalling practices against some of them, as highlighted in a significant report shared by Ukrainian politician Anton Heraszczenko.

Already in 2022, it was widely reported that Vladimir Putin's officials orchestrated the deportation - theoretically - mainly involving orphaned children. However, many of these children still had living relatives who desperately tried to make contact with them.

Russians have a meticulously planned policy towards Ukrainian children. Their actions are not random. They have devised at least five methods for abducting Ukrainian children - stated Daria Gierasimczuk, the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights.

Russian propaganda goes to great lengths to convince its citizens of their so-called peaceful intentions towards Ukraine's children. The reality is strikingly different. The young Ukrainians have become pawns in a cynical wartime strategy of life and death.

My name is Lia Cherwenets from Volnovakha from the liberated territory. I am currently participating in military-sport competitions for young paratroopers. We are being trained to become soldiers of the Russian army - shared a teenager who was taken from the Kherson region.

Another Ukrainian boy was taken to Russia without his parents. He was issued a new identity card and forced to sing the Russian anthem. When he refused, he was imprisoned.

We were told that nobody in Ukraine cares for us or needs us. They informed us that Kherson and Odesa are now considered Russian cities. They also claimed that Ukraine would soon cease to exist. Every morning, they played the Russian anthem. If we did not sing along, we faced punishment - shares Rostislav.

As pointed out by Ukrainian politician Anton Heraszczenko, Russia has abducted more than 19,000 Ukrainian minors, subjecting some to deplorable treatment.