Украинские дети на вокзале в Гомеле. Фото: t.me/gomel_region_gov
The United Nations has recognized the deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia and Belarus as a crime against humanity. This is stated in a report by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine, Reuters reports.
“In this report the commission concluded that crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Russian authorities were directed against children, who are among the most vulnerable victims,” the report says.
The commission notes that such crimes have irreversible consequences for the lives and future of children.
Ukraine states that nearly 20,000 children have been illegally taken to Russia and Belarus. Some of them undergo military training and may be forced to fight against Ukrainian forces.
The report analyzes cases involving 1,205 children from five regions of Ukraine. Of them, 80% have still not returned home.
“Deportations and transfers took place from various locations across the vast territory of areas of Ukraine occupied by Russia according to an established pattern of actions, indicating their widespread and systematic nature,” the document says.
It also notes that the deportation of Ukrainian children was coordinated in Russia at the highest level.
According to data from the National Anti-Crisis Management for 2025, since the start of Russia’s full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the total number of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred to Belarus has exceeded 3,500.