On Thursday, the US State Department imposed sanctions on 13 individuals and entities it claims are linked to the forced deportation of Ukrainian children, amid increasing pressure on Moscow related to its invasion of Ukraine. The State Department stated that the United States would take steps to implement visa restrictions on three Russian-appointed officials involved in violations of the rights of Ukrainian minors.
US President Joe Biden, in a statement on Thursday coinciding with Ukraine's Independence Day, said, "Together and alongside our partners in Europe, we support Ukraine in its fight for freedom right now and will provide assistance in the long term."
Ukrainian government estimates indicate that Russian authorities have forcibly relocated over 19,500 children from their homes since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Among the entities sanctioned on Thursday is Artek Camp, which the US State Department claims is a "summer camp" owned by the Russian government located in the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
The State Department noted that Artek Camp hosted Ukrainian children who were placed in "national" re-education programs and were prevented from returning to their parents. The camp's director was among those sanctioned on Thursday. Other sanctions also targeted an advisor to the Belgorod governor, the children's rights commissioner in the Kaluga and Rostov regions, and the head of the government of the Chechen Republic, among others.
