Ukraine has confirmed more than 20,000 cases of the illegal deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. A total of 2,644 children have been returned.
This was reported by Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs following the Second International Conference “Pathways to Peace” in Toronto.
At the conference, organised by Ukraine, Canada and Norway, Ottawa identified three priority areas: returning Ukrainian children, civilians and prisoners of war, including through tracing and coordination; strengthening the protection of people under Russian control through humanitarian access and information sharing; and supporting Ukrainian rehabilitation and reintegration programmes while ensuring accountability for crimes committed.
Ukraine’s Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity, Denys Uliutin, told international partners that Ukraine had confirmed more than 20,000 cases of the illegal deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. So far, 2,644 children have been returned.
Regarding Ukrainian prisoners of war, Ukraine is aware of more than 300 detention facilities to which the International Committee of the Red Cross has no access. According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, more than 95% of Ukrainian prisoners of war interviewed after their release reported torture or ill-treatment while in Russian captivity.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also highlighted the systematic torture and ill-treatment of Ukrainians in Russian captivity.
“Seventy-seven kilograms. That is how much one Ukrainian prisoner of war lost in just five months of Russian captivity. Eleven torture chambers. That is how many Russia managed to establish in and around Kherson in less than nine months of occupation,” the minister said, stressing what he described as the brutal and systematic nature of Russia’s crimes against Ukrainians.
