In the shadow of war, a devastating humanitarian crisis has been unfolding in Ukraine — one that targets the nation’s most vulnerable.
Since Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian children have been at the centre of a calculated genocidal strategy aimed at destroying Ukraine’s future as a nation.
The forced abduction and displacement of Ukrainian children calls for urgent global solidarity to identify, locate and save them from Russian captivity.
The scale of the crisis
Since the war began in 2014, and escalated with Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, an estimated 1.6 million Ukrainian children have been affected. This staggering figure represents roughly 20% of the country’s child population.
These children have had their lives stolen — taken from their homes and families, stripped of their identities, and subjected to unimaginable trauma.
In the early months of the full-scale invasion, Ukrainian authorities documented 19,546 cases of child abductions. However, the true scale of the crisis may be far greater.
Russia’s strict information blackout in occupied territories has made it nearly impossible to verify the exact number of children who have been forcibly relocated or their current conditions.
Russian officials have provided troubling insights into the scope of the abductions. According to statements, more than 700,000 Ukrainian children have been relocated to Russia, far exceeding earlier estimates.
Exploitation
Many of these children now face a grim reality: indoctrination, abuse and even forced military training.
Many have lost their parents to the war, leaving them vulnerable and without support. Denied access to legal recourse under Ukrainian or international law, they are trapped in dire circumstances.
The crimes committed against these children are deliberate and multifaceted, designed to strip them of their Ukrainian heritage and assimilate them into Russian society.
These atrocities manifest in several ways:
1. Indoctrination and ethnic cleansing: The Russian regime has overhauled the educational system in occupied territories to re-educate Ukrainian children through fear and pressure.
By rewriting history, replacing Ukrainian books with Russian materials and denying Ukraine’s existence, they aim to erase the children’s national identity.
This systematic cultural destruction is a cornerstone of their strategy.
2. Militarisation: Ukrainian boys as young as 12 are forcibly sent to Russian military academies. Even within schools in occupied territories, specialised courses indoctrinate them into the Russian military system.
Against their will, these children are trained to become future soldiers, prepared to fight against their own homeland.
3. Forced adoption: Many children are placed in Russian orphanages or forcibly adopted by Russian families.
This severance from their Ukrainian roots ensures that their connection to their heritage is permanently broken.
4. Human trafficking and exploitation: When children’s names and birthdates are altered, tracing them becomes nearly impossible.
This makes them vulnerable to trafficking within Russia, where evidence points to cases of sexual exploitation, abuse, and forced labour.
Violation of international law
Russia’s actions are not only morally reprehensible but also blatant breaches of international humanitarian law.
The Geneva Conventions explicitly prohibit the forced transfer or deportation of civilians from occupied territories. Specific articles address the rights of children, emphasising the need for proper care, education and family reunification — all of which are being systematically denied.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) further classifies such acts as crimes against humanity and war crimes.
By targeting children — the very future of Ukraine — Russia’s campaign exhibits genocidal intent, aimed at erasing a nation’s cultural identity and undermining its sovereignty.
The psychological toll is immeasurable. Children who are indoctrinated into Russian society face an identity crisis that could take years — or even generations — to heal.
They are not only deprived of their families and culture but also denied the sense of security and belonging that every child deserves.
Action needed
Russia’s campaign exhibits genocidal intent, aimed at erasing a nation’s cultural identity, weakening the country’s resistance and undermining its future as a sovereign nation.
The demographic motivations behind this campaign cannot be ignored. Russia’s declining birth rate and aging population have created a desperate need for young people.
By forcibly relocating Ukrainian children, Russia is attempting to address its own demographic crisis at the expense of Ukraine’s future.
This strategy is eerily reminiscent of colonial practices, where children were taken from their native cultures and assimilated into dominant societies.
History has shown us the devastating long-term impact of such actions on individuals and communities.
Decisive action is needed to bring Ukraine’s stolen children home and ensure their safety and well-being.
Reuniting the stolen children with their families is more than a humanitarian mission — it is a fight for justice, cultural preservation and the future of Ukraine as a nation.
Ukraine’s children cannot wait. The time to act is now.
[Abridged from . Christopher Ford is Secretary of the in Britain. Together with the Campaign for Ukraine, Vsesvit and other Ukrainian organisations, as well as several national trade unions, USC is organising a in London on June 1, International Children’s Day.]