Russia abducts Ukrainian children under evacuation and adoption guise

Ukrainska Pravda reports, referencing the press conference and presentation of the analytical report "Deportation of Ukrainian citizens from zones of active hostilities or temporarily occupied Ukrainian territory to the territory of Russia and Belarus," Russian families have reportedly adopted approximately 400 Ukrainian children. Russia has deported between 260,000 and nearly 700,000 minors from Ukraine. The majority of them were relocated with their legal guardians. According to Russian sources, there are currently over 4 million Ukrainians in Russia. These Ukrainians are primarily from Mariupol and Kherson and were deported to Russia during the full-scale invasion.

Alyona Lunyova, Advocacy Director at Human Rights Center ZMINA, stated, "the deportation includes multiple stages and war crimes, including torture, inhuman treatment, and filtration camps that preceded the deportation."

Numerous minors are among the deportees. According to Kateryna Rashevska, a Regional Human Rights Center lawyer, Russia has deported between 260,000 and nearly 700,000 minors and 1,500 and 2,500 orphans, according to various sources. At least 400 children have already joined Russian families.

"Ukrainian children were deported to at least 57 regions of Russia. These include Sakhalin, Astrakhan, Murmansk, Dagestan," Rashevska said.

She added that the Russian actions were a genocide intended to exterminate the Ukrainian people and nation. Read also:

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