The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has created a new position to address Russia's forced removal of Ukrainian children from occupied territories, who are stripped of their identities and subjected to re-education in Russian language and culture, combat training, and forced adoption by Russian families.
Some children are forcibly adopted by Russian families and given new identities as Russian citizens, severing all ties to their Ukrainian heritage.
These orchestrated actions aim to transform abducted Ukrainian children into soldiers or ideologically compliant citizens, causing severe psychological trauma in what experts characterize as genocide and crimes against humanity.
Swedish MP Carina Ödebrink will serve as Special Envoy on the issue, according to the OSCE and Andrii Yermak, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.
OSCE Parliamentary Assembly President Pere Joan Pons appointed Ödebrink following his recent visit to Kyiv, where the urgent plight of these children was recognized as a key priority by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Special envoy built expertise documenting Russian crimes
Ödebrink brings direct experience to the role. As Special Rapporteur for the OSCE PA Parliamentary Support Team for Ukraine and Rapporteur for the Assembly's Third General Committee, she documented cases of child abduction and deportation.
Not just deported: Moscow turns Ukrainian children into soldiers, laborers, and Russians, studies show
Her July report, "Russian Abductions and Deportations of Ukrainian Children," mapped out the scope of the problem and pushed for enhanced international co-operation through the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children and President Zelenskyy's "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative.
"It is vital that we join forces across international platforms, coalitions, and assemblies to put an end to Russia's unlawful abductions," Ödebrink stated. "Together, we can help bring these children home."
President Pons emphasized that the appointment reflects the OSCE PA's longstanding commitment to this issue. The Assembly's last four Declarations have all addressed the unlawful deportations by Russia, explicitly supporting the establishment of the International Coalition and urging OSCE participating States to join.
Experts link abductions to imperial strategy
Ukrainian authorities have confirmed the removal of more than 19,000 children from occupied territories as of October, though occupation makes precise counting difficult.
Andreas Umland, a Russia-Ukraine expert at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs, explained that Moscow aims to assimilate Ukraine's population to address Russia's demographic decline, using a Soviet-era totalitarian approach that treats children as expendable units serving imperial goals rather than individuals with rights.
50,000 Ukrainian children forced through Russian “patriotic education” programs, British Intelligence reports
International coalition grows but returns remain limited
The international response has grown. Forty-one countries and the Council of Europe now participate in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, established last year.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova on charges of illegal deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
Russia opens “slave market” of stolen Ukrainian children — users can choose them by color of eyes
But bringing children home remains complicated. The Office of the Prosecutor General has stated that no standardized mechanism currently exists for returning deported children.
President Zelenskyy announced in September 2025 that Ukraine had successfully returned 1,625 children—a fraction of those taken.
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50,000 Ukrainian children forced through Russian “patriotic education” programs, British Intelligence reports
Some children are forcibly adopted by Russian families and given new identities as Russian citizens, severing all ties to their Ukrainian heritage.
These orchestrated actions aim to transform abducted Ukrainian children into soldiers or ideologically compliant citizens, causing severe psychological trauma in what experts characterize as genocide and crimes against humanity.