- April 22, 2025
- 4:56 pm
- Ukraine
Ukraine has lost nearly half of its child population due to occupation and deportation. How Putin tried to devastate the country and what can be done to return the children?
Why Ukraine lost half of its child population
As a result of Russian aggression over 11 years, Ukraine has lost almost half of its child population. This is not only the result of hostilities but also the mass deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. Mykola Kuleba, the founder of the Save Ukraine organization and former commissioner for children’s rights to the president of Ukraine, shares alarming statistics confirming these losses.
Quote from Mykola Kuleba:
«Over 11 years, Ukraine has lost half of its child population. Of them, 20% remained first in Donbas and Crimea, and then new territories — nearly 1.6 million children that we lost due to occupation.These 20% of the child population are specifically there. Another 30% are in the world, almost 30%, somewhere around 25%, a little more than 25%.»
Therefore, almost half of the child population is gone.»
Crimea as a center for “reprogramming” children
One of the key elements of this deportation is the use of Crimea as a center for the “reprogramming” of Ukrainian children. It is here, in camps and special facilities, where children are subjected to forced assimilation into Russian culture, where they are made to adopt Russian identity, forget their Ukrainian origins, and learn Russian. This is a form of cultural genocide, aimed not only at physical but also spiritual destruction of Ukrainian identity.
Impact on Ukraine’s future
The absence of almost half of the child population, displaced to occupied territories and Russia, has long-term consequences for Ukraine. According to human rights defenders, the majority of children undergo harsh “reprogramming,” forcing them to forget their culture and roots. Kuleba calls these processes mass destruction of Ukrainian identity, which, in essence, is cultural genocide.
Quote from Mykola Kuleba:
«This is what Putin aimed to achieve — to devastate Ukrainian territories, destroy Ukrainian culture, and raise a new generation of loyal citizens of Russia.»
How Ukraine is fighting for the return of children?
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Ukraine has been actively working to return its citizens, including children, from occupied territories. To this end, international human rights organizations like Save Ukraine have been involved, actively cooperating with Ukrainian authorities and global partners. Despite these efforts, Ukraine has still not managed to return all deported children, and the process continues.
Statistics on losses and returns
To date, 1,227 children have been returned, which is only a small fraction of all deported. According to human rights defenders, more than 19,500 children remain in Russia and on occupied territories, and this number continues to grow. Kuleba emphasizes that every day these children are becoming more “reprogrammed,” making their return and restoration of their identity even more difficult.
| Indicator | Number |
|---|---|
| Lost children due to occupation | 1.6 million |
| Deported to Russia | 19,500 |
| Returned through Save Ukraine | 1,227 |
| Children in other countries | 30% |
Russia’s strategy for destroying Ukrainian identity
Russia uses Crimea as part of its strategy for destroying Ukrainian identity. Under the pretext of “rehabilitation,” children in camps undergo harsh assimilation, including regarding history, culture, and language. This is a system of re-education, through which Russian authorities try to change the worldview of children to make them loyal to the Russian regime.
Quote from human rights defenders:
«This is not just deportation, it is violent reprogramming of children, their culture, and identity.»
International efforts to return the children
The international community has also actively engaged in investigating these crimes. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Russian leaders, including President Putin and Russia’s children’s ombudsman, for the illegal deportation of children from occupied territories. These charges open the possibility for legal prosecution and holding those responsible accountable for actions aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity.
How can Ukraine return the children?
Ukraine faces a long and difficult road to restore its demographic and cultural identity. This process is not limited to just returning the children but also creating conditions for their rehabilitation in a free Ukraine, where they can rediscover their homeland and culture.
How does this affect relations between Ukraine and Israel?
For Israel, where the memory of the Holocaust and the persecution of the Jewish people has always been paramount, this situation with the children of Ukraine holds special significance. It is reminiscent of times when the Nazis also sought to destroy Jewish identity through deportation and the destruction of children. Therefore, Israel, as a country that survived genocide, should help in the return of these children and in restoring their rights.
НАновини will continue to highlight this issue and news from Israel and Ukraine and support efforts to restore the rights of Ukrainian children lost during Russian aggression.
