Kremlin's child deportation scheme exposes dark truth in Ukraine
Russian presidential planes and funds were used in a program that transported children from occupied Ukrainian territories, stripping them of their Ukrainian identity, and placing them with Russian families, according to a report from the Yale School of Public Health.
7:03 AM EST, December 4, 2024
Research published on Tuesday, supported by the U.S. Department of State, identified 314 Ukrainian children taken to Russia in the first months of the war in Ukraine. According to the project's authors, these actions were systematic and carried out as part of a program financed by the Kremlin to "Russify" the children.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for alleged war crimes involving the deportation of Ukrainian children.
Lvova-Belova said at the time that her committee acted for humanitarian reasons to protect children in war zones. Her office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Kremlin stated it could not answer questions sent on Monday due to a lack of time.
The new research, first reported by Reuters, provides details of the alleged deportation program and the involved individuals, revealing new connections to Putin, according to the lead researcher.
Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab, plans to present the findings at a UN Security Council meeting on Wednesday. The United States is chairing the 15-member body this month.
Raymond stated that the research provides evidence that could support further ICC charges against Putin for the "forcible transfer" of persons from one national and ethnic group to another.
He added that the report proves that "the deportation of Ukraine's children is part of a systematic, Kremlin-led program" aiming to make them Russian citizens.
Under international law, forcible transfer is a crime against humanity.
In response to questions from Reuters, the ICC prosecutor's office stated that the Yale report is useful in our ongoing actions in this matter. They refused to provide details on the charges or actions that might arise from the ongoing investigations regarding Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, referring to the report, wrote on platform X that "Ukraine is tirelessly working to ensure our children return home and that all those responsible for these heinous crimes are punished."
Ukraine's Attorney General said the Yale report complements their investigations into the fate of the children, describing "a well-planned Kremlin policy with legislative changes, political decisions, and dedicated funding."
In response to ICC charges last year, Lvova-Belova stated that Russia did not relocate anyone against their or their parents' or legal guardians' will, which was always required unless they were missing. She noted that children were placed with temporary legal guardians and not given up for adoption.
Russia, which does not recognize the ICC, declared that tribunal orders are irrelevant. However, the court's decisions could limit travel for the individuals subject to the orders, as 124 member states are obliged to enforce them.
The research is based on data obtained from three Russian governmental adoption databases over 20 months. Yale's investigation analyzed the logistics and funding of the alleged program and confirmed the identity of 314 children.
The research is part of an initiative led by the U.S. Department of State during Joe Biden's presidency, aimed at documenting potential violations of international law and crimes against humanity committed by Russia and allied forces in Ukraine.
The report states that Ukrainian children brought to Russia were subjected to "pro-state and militarized propaganda," noting that such "patriotic re-education" was documented in all facilities processing the children.
Reuters documented the transfer of thousands of children to Russian camps, the forced naturalization of Ukrainians, and Belarus's involvement in this program.
Stephen Rapp, the U.S. ambassador for war crimes during Barack Obama's presidency and a former prosecutor in international tribunals for Rwanda and Sierra Leone, analyzed the report and told Reuters that "it proves their direct involvement, making changes to law and practice to allow and accelerate coercive adoptions that would have been illegal under Russia's own law in February 2022."
Kyiv estimates around 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since the invasion. Lvova-Belova has challenged Kyiv's numbers and asked it to provide evidence.
According to the report, Russia began transporting Ukrainian children from occupied areas of Ukraine several days before the invasion in February 2022.
The Russian Air Force and planes under the direct control of Putin's office transported groups of children from Ukraine on Russian military transport aircraft marked with the Russian Federation's flag between May and October 2022, as the report stated.
Russia's Aerospace Forces and aircraft under the direct control of Putin's office transported multiple groups of children from Ukraine on Russian Federation-flagged military transport planes between May and October 2022.
Children transported to Chkalovsky military airport near Moscow on September 16, 2022, were moved from the occupied Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk to the Russian city of Rostov, near the Ukrainian border, and then flew on aircraft number RA-85123, the report provided.
The aircraft is a TU-154M operated by the 223rd Flight Squad of the Russian Defence Ministry, it added. Flight data on the Flightradar24.com site also confirmed this.
Of the 314 identified Ukrainian children, 166 were placed directly with Russian citizens, the report stated. The remaining 148 were found in Russian databases concerning child placement, with about one-third subsequently placed with Russian citizens.
