The deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is one of the most painful tragedies unfolding against the background of a full-scale war unleashed by the Russian Federation. This problem concerns not only abducted children, but also the destruction of their identity, family ties, and future as citizens of Ukraine. This issue is extremely urgent and causes deep concern of the international community, because such actions violate the fundamental rights of the child and international norms, while turning into a war crime. Ukraine is making titanic efforts to locate these children and their return, but the Russian side is putting up serious resistance. On December 18, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in an interview with “Ukrainian Pravda” told about this complex problem and the steps being taken to solve it.
According to Lubinets, the main role in identifying the whereabouts of abducted children is played by Ukrainian intelligence agencies. Despite the fact that international organizations work on the territory of Russia, they cannot provide real help. Instead, Ukraine relies on its own resources and the support of partners such as Yale University. Using modern analytical technologies, it was possible to gain access to the internal documents of the Russian Federation, where specific surnames and dates of birth of deported children are indicated. This made it possible to establish the scale of the tragedy, but Lubinets emphasizes that the real number of victims is much higher than what is currently known.
About one and a half million children remain in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, each of whom is at risk of deportation. The ombudsman spoke about cases when Ukrainian families, staying in the occupied territories, faced terrible consequences: parents were accused of espionage, and children were forcibly sent to Russia and adopted into Russian families, even if their parents were alive. Ukraine classifies such actions as a war crime.
Lubinets drew special attention to the arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova, issued by international institutions. These documents are based on facts of illegal deportation of Ukrainian children. Lvova-Belova even publicly stated that she adopted a Ukrainian boy from Mariupol, but later the Russian side changed its rhetoric, calling it a “temporary arrangement”. Despite the play on words and misuse of the legal term, in practice there is adoption, followed by a change of identity, documents and the militarization of children. Lubinets believes that the main goal of such actions is to educate a new generation of soldiers who will fight against Ukraine or other countries.
The Ukrainian side manages to return only a part of the children. The Russians are constantly looking for reasons to refuse their return, demanding documents that prove family ties. Lubinets is outraged by the fact that Ukraine is forced to prove that these children are Ukrainian, even though it was Russia that kidnapped them.
Despite the difficulties, there are certain achievements in the issue of children’s return. In this process, the international coalition, which includes 41 countries led by Canada, plays a key role. The coalition exerts diplomatic, political and sanctions pressure on Russia. Qatar is an important intermediary in this matter, thanks to which more than 50 children were returned, although this is only a small part of the victims.
Humanism in the world, despite difficult circumstances, still exists, Dmytro Lubinets emphasized, describing the process of returning deported Ukrainian children. In his interview, the ombudsman expressed special gratitude to Qatar for its efforts. Thanks to the perseverance of the Qatari team, which uses its unique methods of influencing the Russian side, it is possible to achieve concrete results. Their contribution is important, as they have repeatedly used their communication channels and tools of diplomatic pressure to achieve the return of the children.
Lubinets emphasized that, although Qatar is showing the greatest efficiency in these negotiations, there are other mediators and partners who are also trying to help Ukraine. Some countries do not want to be public in this process, others openly declare their support. Despite the fact that their efforts have not yet brought significant results, Ukraine highly appreciates every help, because it contributes not only to the return of Ukrainian children, but also to the release of civilians and prisoners of war.
The process of returning children is multi-stage and extremely complex, and working in this direction is a joint task of a large team. Lubinets emphasized that the activity is not limited to his office only. Various ministries, intelligence and law enforcement agencies, the Prosecutor General’s Office, public organizations and international partners are involved in this fight. Each of them plays an important role, from locating kidnapped children to rehabilitating them after their return.
Separately, the ombudsman focused on the issue of rehabilitation of deported children. This process requires a special approach, because children often face injuries, both physical and psychological. The main partner in this matter is UNICEF, which provides support in rehabilitation, social security of families and adaptation of children to normal life. According to Lubinets, thanks to close cooperation with international organizations and state structures, Ukraine continues to fight for every child, restoring justice and giving them a chance to return to their native home.
