An independent report on Tuesday, has been released which detailed a vast network of Russia-run sites and processes used in relocating thousands of Ukraine’s children to areas under Russian government control.
According to the statement released by United States Department Spokesman, explained that Conflict Observatory, a program supported by the Department of State made the release in an evidence of Russia’s war crime and other atrocities in Ukraine.
United States stated further that this is a result of mounting evidence of Russia’s actions lays bare, Kremlin’s aims to deny and suppress Ukraine’s identity, history, and culture and the devastating impacts of Putin’s war on Ukraine’s children will be felt for generations.
“The unlawful transfer, deportation of protected persons is a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention on the protection of civilians and constitutes a war crime.
“The fact that these transfers and deportations is unconscionable by any standard. Russia must immediately halt forced transfers, deportations and return the children to their families or legal guardians”, US said.
While appealing to Russia to provide registration lists of Ukraine’s relocated and deported children and grant access for outside independent observers to related facilities within Russia-occupied areas of Ukraine and inside Russia itself.
US noted that this latest report, prepared by program partner Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, is available in its entirety on the Conflict Observatory’s website .
Adding that the report identified 43 facilities to which the Russian government has relocated Ukraine’s children—for some, thousands of miles away from their homes.
“The report provides evidence of the Russian government’s systematic efforts to sever communication between the taken children and their relatives at home in Ukraine, prevent the children’s return to Ukraine, and “re-educate” them to become pro-Russia.
“It also describes the taking of children from Ukraine and placing them for adoption by families in Russia,” the United States said it will stand with Ukraine and pursue accountability for Russia’s appalling abuses for as long as it takes.
Meanwhile, the report stated that Russia’s federal government is operating a systematic network of camps and other facilities that facilitate the re-education and adoption of children from Ukraine.
These facilities in Russia and Russia-occupied Crimea have held at least 6,000 children from Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022.
The Yale School of Public Health’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL) has identified dozens of camps and facilities and many of the key figures coordinating these efforts.
This report, produced by the Conflict Observatory, explores the concerning trends observed at these camps, including the pro-Russia re-education of children and the suspended return of children from camps.
It also documents Russia’s transport of children from Ukraine to Russia for foster care or adoption, including children who may have parents in Ukraine. The report describes the implications of these allegations in international humanitarian and human rights law.