19,546 Ukrainian Children: Russia Abducts and Re-Educates Ukrainian Children and What Plans Does It Have for Their Future

“We are talking about indoctrination. Children are forbidden to call themselves Ukrainians, to use the Ukrainian language. It is frightening to be Ukrainian, to speak Ukrainian, to celebrate Ukrainian holidays.
They erase all signs of identity. This pressure cannot be measured; it can only be felt.

Do you know what a psychologist told me about some of the children who have been returned? They exhibit excessive obedience. She says that usually, when children are asked to hand over their phones, they resist, they don’t give them up so easily. But here—they give them up immediately, without question.

They develop reverence for authority. What is very surprising is that they are extremely obedient and bow. You ask them for something, and some of them start bowing in response, unquestioningly doing everything they are told. Foreign journalists often ask me: why do the Russians do this?“

Moscow is using abducted Ukrainian children to build its army of the future. Hundreds of deported children undergo harsh militarization and forget their true homeland. Why is this happening, and how are they being returned? Read more in the article by Daria Zarivna for NV, director of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

Bring Kids Back UA is a Ukrainian state initiative aimed at returning children who were forcibly deported by Russia from temporarily occupied territories. The program works in cooperation with international organizations and diplomatic mediators to rescue abducted children and restore their Ukrainian identity.

How Russia Abducts Ukrainian Children and Changes Their Future

Russia is stealing Ukrainian children—they are deported, adopted, placed in orphanages, and sent to militarized camps. Growing up in Russian families and military-political organizations erases their Ukrainian identity. According to Ukrainian authorities, 19,546 children have been forcibly taken, but the real number is likely much higher.

Experts believe this is part of Russia’s strategy not only to destroy Ukraine but also to form a new generation of future Russian soldiers. International organizations have already recognized deportation as a war crime, and the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, his commissioner for children’s rights.

Deportation of Children: Numbers and Scale of the Crime

At present, 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain in temporarily occupied territories. Many are undergoing “re-education” programs in Russian camps, and thousands have already received new “fake” birth certificates stating that they were born in Russia.

These numbers confirm that Russia’s deportation policy is not an accident but a systematic genocide.

How the Child Abduction Mechanism Works

The abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia is a state-organized process. Russian authorities use several tactics:

1. Seizing Orphanages and Falsifying Documents

• The director of the orphanage is replaced with a pro-Russian collaborator.
• Children are assigned “new” Russian parents.
• Fake documents are issued, changing their names and birthplaces.

2. Re-education in Russian Families

• Ukrainian children are placed in families where they are forced to forget their nationality.
• They are raised according to Soviet-imperial ideology, fostering loyalty to Putin.

3. Militarization and Preparation for War

• Since 2022, the Russian “Yunarmiya” (Young Army) has recruited 1.3 million teenagers.
• Children in camps are trained in military tactics, marching drills, and hatred toward the West and Ukraine.
• Russia plans to incorporate 15% of its military personnel from these “re-educated” teenagers by 2030.

“You ask them for something, and some of them start bowing in response. They are extremely obedient,” — a psychologist describes the behavior of children returned from Russia.

How Ukraine Manages to Bring Children Back

Returning abducted Ukrainian children is a complex and dangerous process. Ukraine has established a global coalition to aid in rescuing stolen children. 41 countries, including Canada, Qatar, South Africa, and Brazil, are part of this coalition.

The return process occurs through two main methods:

1. Through international diplomacy and mediators (e.g., via Qatar).
2. Through covert rescue missions involving civil society and NGOs.

NAnews — News of Israel closely follows this process, exposing Russia’s crimes and supporting the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

Documented Evidence of Russia’s Crimes

In December 2023, Ukrainian authorities presented undeniable evidence of document falsification and the forced adoption of Ukrainian children by Russian families.

Example: Margarita Prokopenko

• In 2022, a 10-month-old girl was abducted from a Kherson orphanage.
• In Russian documents, she was re-registered as a native of Podolsk (Moscow Region).
• The girl was adopted by Russian State Duma deputy Sergey Mironov.

This is just one of hundreds of cases in which Russian officials have been directly exposed in their crimes.

International Investigation and Arrest Warrants

In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova for the deportation of Ukrainian children. As a result, Putin was unable to attend the G20 summit, as his visit would have been unwelcome even in pro-Russian countries like Brazil.

However, none of the criminals have yet faced real punishment. Ukraine, together with international organizations, continues to collect evidence to ensure their prosecution.

How the West Responds to Russia’s War Crimes

Western countries recognize the deportation of Ukrainian children as a war crime, but their response has not been strong enough.

“If we do not stop Putin now, he will not stop at Ukraine. Tomorrow, deported Ukrainian children will be fighting in the Russian army against Europe,” warns Daria Zarivna.

Conclusion

Russia is deliberately stealing Ukrainian children, breaking their psyche, and using them as weapons for the future.
Ukraine continues its fight to bring them back, but the West must take stronger action to stop this crime.

NAnews — News of Israel continues to monitor this issue and supports the Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

📌 Remember: silence from the international community gives Russia a green light to continue its abductions.

Full article (Ukr.) – https://nv.ua/ukraine/events/rossiyskie-prestupleniya-kak-ukraina-vozvrashchaet-svoih-detey-intervyu-dari-zarivnoy-50488493.html