Stolen Childhoods: Russia’s Systemic Abductions of Ukrainian Children

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February 24th, 2026, marked the fourth year since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the

start of the war, Russia has been accused of numerous war crimes and crimes against

humanity, including the illegal kidnapping and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russian

and Belarusian territory.

A recent investigation by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine estimates that, since 2022, over 1,200 children have been kidnapped by the Russian Federation. However, the official number has yet to be confirmed, with Ukrainian authorities claiming that approximately 20,000 children have been deported. 

What is particularly concerning is not only the scale at which this is occurring, but also how

systemic it is. As reported by the Commission, this policy, introduced under the premise of

“safeguarding” the well-being of Ukrainian children in conflict areas, has been adopted by

authorities and institutions across different branches of power, at both central and regional

levels of the Russian Federation and in the Russian occupied territories, underscoring its

systemic character.

As a result, in 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and the Commissioner for Children’s Rights in the Office of the President, Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, who has reportedly “adopted” one of the forcibly transferred children. 

Despite this, the Commission reported that 80% of the children in the documented cases have not been returned. Additionally, in instances where the children were reunited with their loved ones, this was largely due to the families’ own efforts rather than the Russian

Federation complying with international law. Furthermore, reports indicate that the childre

are being held in hostile environments, with Russia refusing to disclose their locations. The

children who have been able to return have shown signs of trauma, anxiety, and fear of

abandonment, likely resulting from the violent treatment they endured while in Russian captivity. 

As the United Nations (UN) has concluded, these acts amount to war crimes and crime against humanity, and it has called for the immediate return of the children to their families. Moreover, under the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), children have the right to preserve their identity, “including nationality, name, and family relations”, as well as the right not to be separated from their families against their will.

Building on this, members of Ukrainian civil society, including lawyer Kateryna Rashevska, maintain that these acts are tantamount to the destruction of Ukrainians. Indeed, Article 6(e) of the Rome Statue of the ICC defines genocide to include “forcibly transferring children of one group to another group”. Accordingly, by illegally transferring Ukrainian children to Russian and Belarusian territory, Russia is not only violating their fundamental rights but is arguably threatening the very existence of Ukraine. 

While the ICC arrest warrants represent an important step, most children remain illegally held by the Russian Federation. It is imperative that the international community sustain pressure on the Kremlin to ensure their immediate return. Their continued captivity constitutes grave war crimes, crimes against humanity, threatening Ukraine’s future and underscoring the urgent need for global action. 

written by: Chiara Fachin