Denys Berezhnyi, an 18-year-old, stated to U.S. lawmakers in Washington that the military arrived at his residence in Kherson and informed him that he would be brought to a children’s camp in Crimea. He mentioned that his parents are deaf and cannot speak, therefore they were unable to dispute with the Russian soldiers.

During his time at the camp, he reported that his superior refused to provide him with his diabetes medication as a means of control. This continued until his health declined, and he had to be transported to a hospital via ambulance.

According to Berezhnyi’s testimony to the U.S. Helsinki Commission, he expressed his desire to not hold Russian citizenship and contacted the Save Ukraine hotline using a Russian phone number. He was ecstatic to hear that they would assist him.

Berezhnyi is fortunate to have returned home, along with other Ukrainian children who were taken to Russia against their will. Save Ukraine is the biggest organization dedicated to rescuing these children, receiving support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and private donations.

However, it has only managed to bring back 239 children, with 64 of them being orphans.

According to Dmytro Lubynets, the Ukraine government ombudsman, a collaborative effort between the state, Save Ukraine, and UNICEF has successfully brought back 518 children from Russia and occupied territories.

This only represents a small portion of the children who have been brought to Russia since 2014, when Russia claimed Crimea and deployed troops to eastern Ukrainian regions prior to the extensive attack in February 2022. Ukrainian officials have managed to confirm approximately 20,000 children who were forcefully brought to Russia, but Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk suspects that the true number is significantly greater, potentially in the hundreds of thousands.

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Russia is asserting that children are in a state of need.

The Russian government admits to bringing children from Ukraine to Russia, but frames it as providing for children in need and finding them adoptive families. However, Moscow does not disclose the specific number of children taken or their current location.

According to Mykola Kuleba, the CEO of Save Ukraine who provided testimony during the hearings, their organization utilizes various sources such as family members, social services, public data, volunteer groups, and news coverage to locate children who have gone missing.

Last year in March, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, the commissioner for children’s rights in the Office of the President. The warrants were issued on grounds of allegedly committing the war crime of unlawfully deporting and transferring children from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

In April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe stated that the act of deporting and forcibly transferring Ukrainian children to Russia was considered to be a form of genocide.

The United Nations is calling for Russia to cease their actions.

The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child, a group of 18 impartial experts, called on Russia to stop forcibly removing children from Ukraine, disclose information about those who have already been taken, and ensure their safe return home.

In certain instances, Ukrainian families, including children, are compelled to relocate to Russia. Kuleba stated that these families are relocated throughout Russian territory, with some being sent as far as Siberia. Some children are separated from their families and sent to camps for children, while those who have lost their parents in Mariupol or other occupied regions are placed with Russian families or in orphanages.

According to Kuleba and Lubynets, Russia is abducting Ukrainian children in order to indoctrinate them with hatred towards Ukraine and the United States and potentially train them to be soldiers in future conflicts.

According to Lubynets, the Russians are attempting to eliminate the Ukrainian children’s sense of self and are raising them to become the future soldiers of the Russian army.

‘New approaches’ needed

The task of reuniting children with their families presents difficulties for both the Ukrainian government and non-governmental organizations. Kuleba chose not to disclose further information, citing the Russian’s efforts to hinder the return of any child.

According to Lubynets, each return is a unique and complex undertaking that necessitates fresh methods, justifications, collaborators, and logistic paths.

Numerous efforts to rescue children often begin by contacting the Save Ukraine hotline. The hotline then collaborates with a parent or family member in Ukraine to arrange for the children’s repatriation. In the specific case of Berezhnyi, who was 17 years old, his parents were unable to retrieve him due to their disabilities. In this situation, the organization reached out to the mother of another child who was also taken to Crimea with him.

Berezhnyi recalled that he, along with the mother and son, successfully crossed the border and were then questioned by Russian officials who thoroughly inspected their phones.

During the hearing, Berezhnyi stated, “Upon seeing the sign for ‘Ukraine,’ I enthusiastically lifted the heavy bag and exclaimed, ‘Glory to Ukraine!'” He returned to his home in July 2023, nine months after being separated from his loved ones.

Kuleba stated that repatriating children became increasingly challenging following the March 2023 ruling by the ICC. This decision caused Russia to become more hesitant in allowing the children to leave as they would potentially serve as witnesses to a crime.

Lubynets shared that, concurrently, it has aided in various instances by raising global attention to the issue. He stated, “This choice served as a wake-up call for the authorities, prompting them to not only express concern, but to take action,” in an interview with VOA.

As of now, Qatar is the sole foreign nation that has actively assisted in repatriating Ukrainian children, resulting in the successful return of 16 individuals.

The girl comes back with a negative attitude towards Ukraine.

Andriy Kostin, the prosecutor general of Ukraine, stated that there is currently no lawful method for returning deported children. He also noted that Ukrainian officials are actively communicating with global leaders, urging them to cease interactions with Putin or, if they choose to engage, to demand the return of the kidnapped children.

Kostin stated in an interview with VOA that in every interaction with Putin, the initial statement should be, “Putin, please return the Ukrainian children.”

According to Kuleba, children who come back home are frequently tired, isolated, and influenced by propaganda. Some individuals hold the belief that Ukraine does not exist anymore or that it is a Russian republic. There are also those who are scared to return due to the label of “Nazis” being used by Moscow to describe Ukrainian citizens, including some who are Jewish.

A 16-year-old girl who was brought back from Mariupol was displaying hostility towards Ukraine. It was clear that she had experienced significant trauma. Our approach towards the children is to treat them with respect and show them love.

Save Ukraine has a team of psychologists, social workers, and case managers dedicated to assisting children with their reintegration. Kuleba also mentioned that they successfully placed all the orphans they repatriated from Russia with loving adoptive families.

This report was contributed to by Mariia Ulianovska, Hanna Tverdokhlib, Ostap Yarysh, and Oleksii Kovalenko from VOA Ukrainian.

Source: voanews.com