Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine has been an unrelenting tragedy for its people, but few have suffered more deeply than Ukraine’s children. Over 20,000 have been forcibly deported to Russian-occupied territories, Russia, and Belarus, ripped away from their families and homes. While international law is clear on prohibiting such actions, these children have been placed in Russian foster or adoptive families, some even given Russian citizenship in a disturbing attempt to erase their Ukrainian identities.
The abduction of children is part of a larger, systematic operation overseen by Russian authorities. A report from the Yale School of Public Health has identified at least 43 camps across Russia and occupied territories, where Ukrainian children are held and subjected to so-called “re-education.” Russian officials claim these camps provide “patriotic” education, but their true purpose is far more sinister. Children are being forced to embrace a pro-Russian identity while being stripped of their national and personal heritage. The furthest of these camps is in Magadan, approximately 3,900 miles from Ukraine – a location so remote it is closer to the US than Ukraine’s borders.
The stories emerging from these camps are nothing short of horrific. Children sent to camps under the false pretence of “recreational holidays” have endured psychological manipulation and even physical abuse. In October 2022, children from then occupied Kherson were sent to facilities in Crimea for what was supposed to be a two-week break. Instead, they were subjected to a re-education program where they were told their parents had abandoned them. At camps with names like “Dream” and “Sunny,” children were made to listen to the Russian national anthem on repeat and faced punishment for any signs of dissent.
Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine has been an unrelenting tragedy for its people, but few have suffered more deeply than Ukraine’s children. Over 20,000 have been forcibly deported to Russian-occupied territories, Russia, and Belarus, ripped away from their families and homes. While international law is clear on prohibiting such actions, these children have been placed in Russian foster or adoptive families, some even given Russian citizenship in a disturbing attempt to erase their Ukrainian identities.
The abduction of children is part of a larger, systematic operation overseen by Russian authorities. A report from the Yale School of Public Health has identified at least 43 camps across Russia and occupied territories, where Ukrainian children are held and subjected to so-called “re-education.” Russian officials claim these camps provide “patriotic” education, but their true purpose is far more sinister. Children are being forced to embrace a pro-Russian identity while being stripped of their national and personal heritage. The furthest of these camps is in Magadan, approximately 3,900 miles from Ukraine – a location so remote it is closer to the US than Ukraine’s borders.
The stories emerging from these camps are nothing short of horrific. Children sent to camps under the false pretence of “recreational holidays” have endured psychological manipulation and even physical abuse. In October 2022, children from then occupied Kherson were sent to facilities in Crimea for what was supposed to be a two-week break. Instead, they were subjected to a re-education program where they were told their parents had abandoned them. At camps with names like “Dream” and “Sunny,” children were made to listen to the Russian national anthem on repeat and faced punishment for any signs of dissent.