UN Urges Russia to End Forced Deportation of Ukrainian Children

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child urged Russia on Thursday to "cease the forced deportation of children from occupied areas in Ukraine, which violates international law, and return them to their families." It stated that "around 20,000 children have been transferred from Ukraine to Russia without the consent of their families or guardians, and the International Criminal Court is seeking to arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of illegal deportation, an accusation denied by the Kremlin." The UN committee mentioned in a report on Russia that "Moscow needs to provide information on the exact number of children who have been deported from Ukraine and their locations so that they can be identified and returned to their homeland." Moscow, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, has rejected these accusations, stating that it has only been protecting children at risk in a war zone. The committee also noted that "Russia must ensure that no child is deprived of their Ukrainian nationality and maintain their identity, name, and family ties."