Abduction children is the most egregious crime of Russia

Abduction children in Ukraine and how russia does it. The Russian war crimes in Ukraine have taken a terrible toll on the country's people, especially the children. In particular, the deportation and child abduction from the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson has been devastating.

The stories of these young victims of abduction are heartbreaking and demonstrate the cruelty of Russia's attempts to silence dissent and stifle freedom in these areas.

This article will explore the human cost of Russia's actions and provide an insight into how these abduction children have affected not only individual lives but also entire communities.

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in numerous war crimes, including the deportation and child abduction from the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson.

Abduction Children Serious World Crime

The following actions have been condemned by the international community and have resulted in numerous human rights violations:

Deporting and abduction children
Russia has been accused of forcibly deporting and child abduction from the occupied regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporozhye, and Kherson. These children are being taken away from their families and homes and are being sent to orphanages in Russia, where they face an uncertain future.
Violation of International Law

The deportation or child abduction is a clear violation of international law. According to the Geneva Conventions, the forcible transfer of civilians from occupied territories is a war crime. Russia's actions have been condemned by the United Nations, the European Union, and other international organizations.Human Rights Violations
The deportation or child abduction is also a human rights violation. These children are being separated from their families and communities, which is causing significant emotional and psychological trauma. In addition, the conditions in the orphanages where they are being sent are often poor, which can have a negative impact on their health and well-being.
Russia's Denial of Responsibility
Despite overwhelming evidence of its involvement in the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has consistently denied any responsibility for the deportation and child abduction of children or other war crimes. This denial has been met with skepticism by the international community, which has called for Russia to be held accountable for its actions.
Impact on the Future of Ukraine
The deportation or child abduction from the occupied regions of Ukraine has significant implications for the future of the country. These children are the future of Ukraine, and their forced removal from the country could have a long-term impact on its demographic and economic stability. In addition, the trauma experienced by these abducted children could have a lasting impact on their ability to contribute to society.

The so-called "deportation" or child abduction from the occupied regions of Ukraine is a clear example of Russia's war crimes in the country. These actions have been condemned by the international community and have led to significant human rights violations. It is important for Russia to be held accountable for its actions and for the rights of these abducted children to be protected.

Deportation or Child Abduction ?

The system of camps and adoptions abducted children coordinated at the highest levels of Russia’s federal government. Vladimir Putin thanked Russia’s people for arranging these camps for abducted children from Ukraine, directed Maria Lvova-Belova to “take additional measures” regarding children left without parental care in occupied territories, and received updates from regional governors on their efforts to bring children from Ukraine to camps

Figure 1. Russian re-education camps for abducted children.

It has been discovered that the Russian government has child abduction and relocated over 6,000 children from Ukraine to re-education and adoption facilities in Russia-occupied Crimea and mainland Russia.

The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has found 43 facilities involved in holding these abducted children since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Most of these facilities are recreational camps disguised as vacations, while others are used for foster care or adoption in Russia. Unfortunately, the majority of these camps have been used for pro-Russia re-education efforts, and some have even provided military training to children or prevented them from returning to their parents in Ukraine.

Figure 2. A child’s journey through Russia’s system of re-education camps and adoption

The Yale HRL has identified 43 facilities, consisting of 41 camps, that housed Ukrainian children during the initial year after the full-scale invasion. These 43 locations are not indicative of all the camps and facilities that have held Ukrainian children. These are the ones for which adequate open source information is available. The camps and facilities are located throughout the country, from Russia-occupied Crimea to Magadan oblast in Russia's Far East. Russian officials transport children, including those with families and those claimed to be orphans, to these facilities for various reasons.

Officials involved in both the camp and adoption systems for abducted children in Russia made no secret of their involvement. They often considered their activity the height of humanitarianism and wanted their superiors to see their work.

The information connecting officials, camp administrators, and civil society and private sector actors to camps represents assertions of involvement made by those very actors. They celebrated their involvement in social media posts, interviews with Russian media outlets, and posing in photographs with children from Ukraine at camps.

Punishment for abduction children

The abduction of children is considered one of the “Six grave violations against children during armed conflict” and is an act prohibited by international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international customary law, and multiple international judicial precedents.

The forcible transfer of children from one group to another may constitute a violation of Article 2(e) of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948.

The Rome Statute also recognizes the forcible transfer of children as one of the component acts of the crime of genocide, which is a crime against humanity.

Russia’s alleged deportation, reeducation, and, in some cases, forcible adoption of abducted children manifestly violates multiple articles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), an instrument to which Russia is party.

September 16, 2021