UN Commission: Deportation of More Than 1,200 Ukrainian Children by Russia Constitutes a Crime Against Humanity
13/03/2026
This is stated in a report presented at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
The Commission presented at least 1,205 cases involving the deportation of Ukrainian children from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv regions.
"The Commission continued its investigation into the deportation or forcible transfer of children by Russian authorities to the Russian Federation or to areas of Ukraine under its occupation. The Commission verified compelling evidence of the deportation and forcible transfer of a total of 1,205 children from five regions of Ukraine, concluding that these acts constitute crimes against humanity as well as the war crimes of deportation and forcible transfer of children,” the document states.
According to the report, more than 80% of Ukrainian children remain under the control of the occupying authorities. Initially, they were taken to transit centers in Russia or in occupied territories, after which they were distributed to families or institutions in 21 regions of the Russian Federation, where they stayed for an indefinite period of time.
The Commission also found that children were often granted Russian citizenship and entered into adoption or foster care databases. Many parents and legal guardians did not know the fate or whereabouts of their children for months or even years.
In most cases, the Commission notes, Russian authorities failed to establish a mechanism for returning the children, effectively placing the burden of locating them and arranging their repatriation on their relatives. At the same time, the return of those children who were eventually repatriated was accompanied by numerous obstacles and risks.
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