Russia denies any “deportation” of children

Ukraine estimates that 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly sent to Russia. Only around 400 have been repatriated by the authorities at this stage.

Russia denied, Tuesday January 23 at the UN, any “deportation” on its soil thousands of Ukrainian children since the invasion of Ukraine, of which kyiv, international justice and NGOs accuse it.

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, which examines the Russian file as part of a regular meeting, called on Moscow on Monday to explain the “deportation allegations”. “Since February 2022, the Russian Federation has not been involved in the deportation of Ukrainian citizens on its territory”replied Tuesday the head of the Russian delegation, Alexei Vovchenko, Russian Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection.

“Most of the children came with their families”

“About three million residents of Ukraine, including a number of children, were accepted into the Russian Federation. Most of the children came with their families or guardians, they were placed in temporary shelters or with relatives”, said Alexei Vovchenko. According to him, checks are underway concerning the situation of “more than 5 000 children.

Ukraine estimates that 20,000 Ukrainian children have been forcibly sent to Russia. Only around 400 have been repatriated by authorities at this stage. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last year against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for “deportation” thousands of Ukrainian children.