Report links Kremlin to forced relocation of hundreds of Ukrainian kids

[ryan robertson]

THE KREMLIN HELPED KIDNAP HUNDREDS OF UKRAINIAN CHILDREN AND RELOCATED THEM TO RUSSIA SOME WERE PLACED IN “RE-EDUCATION” CENTERS WHILEOTHERS WERE ADOPTED BY RUSSIAN FAMILIES.

THE ACCUSATIONS AREN’T NEW, AND I’VE REPORTED ON THEM BEFORE– BUT A NEW INVESTIGATION BY YALE’S HUMANITARIAN RESEARCH LAB IS REVEALING HOW THE KREMLIN USED MILITARY AIRCRAFT TO FACILITATE THESE TRANSFERS, SPARKING ALLEGATIONS OF CULTURAL ERASURE AND RAISING QUESTIONS ABOUT INTERNATIONAL LAW.

THE STATE-SPONSORED KIDNAPPING PROGRAM ALLEGEDLY GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP INCLUDING RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN AND MARIA LVOVA-BELOVA, THE COMMISSIONER FOR CHILDREN’S RIGHTS. THEY BOTH FACE INTERNATIONAL ARREST WARRANTS FOR WAR CRIMES RELATED TO THE FORCED TRANSFER OF CHILDREN.

YALE INVESTIGATORS FOUND EVIDENCE RUSSIA’S AEROSPACE FORCES AND AIRCRAFT MANAGED BY PUTIN’S PRESIDENTIAL ADMINISTRATION WERE USED TO TRANSPORT THE CHILDREN BETWEEN MAY AND OCTOBER 2022.

ONCE THE KIDS WERE TAKEN FROM THEIR HOMELAND, THEY WERE REPORTEDLY SUBJECTED TO “PRO-RUSSIA RE-EDUCATION” IN TEMPORARY FACILITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING IN KURSK AND ROSTOV OBLASTS. THESE PROGRAMS WERE, UNSURPRISINGLY, FULL OF MILITARY PROPAGANDA AND NARRATIVES JUSTIFYING RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE. SOME CHILDREN WERE LATER PLACED IN RUSSIAN SCHOOLS OR DIRECTLY ADOPTED BY FAMILIES, WITH AT LEAST 67 FORMALLY NATURALIZED AS RUSSIAN CITIZENS. CHANGES IN RUSSIAN LAW ENABLED GUARDIANS TO RENOUNCE THE CHILDREN’S UKRAINIAN CITIZENSHIP, PERMANENTLY ERASING THEIR IDENTITIES.

THE REPORT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS INSTANCES OF SIBLING SEPARATION, WITH SOME CHILDREN PLACED WITH RUSSIAN FAMILIES WHILE THEIR BROTHERS OR SISTERSREMAINED IN ADOPTION FACILITIES. RESEARCHERS FOUND AROUND 80% OF THE KIDS WERE FROM DONETSK OBLAST, AND NEARLY HALF HAD SIBLINGS LISTED IN THE SAME ADOPTION DATABASES.

THE RELOCATION PROGRAM COINCIDED WITH RUSSIA’S ANNEXATION OF UKRAINIAN TERRITORIES IN SEPTEMBER 2022. THAT SUGGESTS A COORDINATED EFFORT. LEGAL CHANGES DURING THIS PERIOD STREAMLINED THE ADOPTION PROCESS, REMOVING BARRIERS TO PLACING UKRAINIAN CHILDREN WITH RUSSIAN FAMILIES.

INTERNATIONAL LEGAL EXPERTS SAY THE PROGRAM COULD CONSTITUTE CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY OR EVEN GENOCIDE UNDER THE ROME STATUTE. WHILE THE KREMLIN FRAMES THESE RELOCATIONS AS HUMANITARIAN EFFORTS, CRITICS ARGUE THEY AMOUNT TO CULTURAL ERASURE AND A VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW.

UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS ESTIMATE AROUND 19,500 CHILDREN WERETAKEN TO RUSSIA OR RUSSIAN-OCCUPIED CRIMEA SINCE THE WAR BEGAN, THOUGH RUSSIA DISPUTES THESE FIGURES.

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