Alleged Crimes Against Children by Russia
Ukrainian officials have initiated over 3,000 criminal proceedings in response to purported crimes committed by Russia against children within Ukraine, inclusive of numerous torture incidents.
Details on the Nature of Crimes
Yulia Usenko, leading the department concerned with children’s interests and combating violence, highlighted the gravity of the allegations. The claims range from murders, abductions, enforced displacements, sexual assaults, to kidnappings of children.
Linking Torture with Other Crimes
Usenko emphasized that these heinous acts are frequently coupled with torture and unlawful confinement. The ongoing investigations encompass more than 3,200 such criminal activities.
Amassing Evidence Against Russian Forces
From the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, various entities – national authorities, global organizations, rights advocates, and media outlets – have been accumulating substantial evidence pointing towards Russia’s alleged engagement in war crimes and human rights violations. Despite the mounting proof, Russia consistently rejects any claims of its involvement in these transgressions.
Documented Torture Cases Involving Children
Usenko disclosed data indicating that Russian forces subjected 75 children to different torture forms. A significant portion of these children, numbering 69, were discovered in the village of Yahidne in the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. The youngsters were confined in a school basement alongside adults, a circumstance Usenko equates to torture.
Child Torture in Various Ukrainian Regions
Usenko reveals that aside from the major incident in Yahidne, child torture incidents have been identified in Kherson in the south and Kharkiv in the northeast. In these regions, children were unlawfully detained and endured physical torment.
Indiscriminate Torture by Occupiers
Highlighting the cruelty of the occupiers, Usenko mentioned that both adults and children faced similar brutalities, with the perpetrators showing no distinction based on age.
Reasons for Child Detention
Some children were allegedly detained by the Russian forces under accusations of disseminating information about the movement of Russian military resources and personnel.
Discovery of Torture Incidents
Evidence of purported torture emerged after certain Ukrainian regions were reclaimed from the Russian occupation. Usenko specified 13 reported cases of sexual violence against children, with the youngest victim being a mere 4-year-old girl.
Awaiting Russia’s Response
Following Usenko’s interview revelations, there was no immediate response or comment from Russia.
Children in the Crossfire of Russia’s Conflict
The manner in which Russia deals with Ukrainian children has consistently been a focal point of international concern.
International Criminal Court’s Move Against Russian Leaders
In a significant move, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian official Maria Lvova-Belova. The charges revolve around the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Russia’s Defense on Child Deportations
The Russian administration counters these allegations, asserting that their actions are aimed at rescuing the children and vehemently denying any forced deportations. The Kremlin has publicly criticized the ICC’s measures, terming them as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
Russian Claims on Children Relocated from Ukraine
Maria Lvova-Belova, the Russian ombudswoman responsible for children’s rights, along with other officials, provided figures in July, claiming that over 700,000 Ukrainian children have been moved from the conflict-afflicted regions of Ukraine to Russia since the war’s commencement.
Discrepancies in Numbers: Ukraine’s Stance on Child Deportations
Contrary to Russia’s claims, Ukraine alleges that a significantly lesser number of children – around 19,500 – have been illicitly deported to Russia.
Zelensky’s Appeal to Return Ukrainian Children
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine expressed concern about the deportation of children, stating that out of the reported deportees, 371 have been successfully returned to Ukraine. He emphasized the need to bring back all the children who are currently with the “enemy.”
First-hand Accounts of Forcible Relocation
CNN has managed to interview children and their families who shared distressing accounts of being involuntarily transported to Russia.
Evidence of “Political Reeducation” Camps
A report unveiled in February shed light on allegations of a comprehensive network consisting of multiple camps. Here, children were reportedly subjected to “political reeducation,” encompassing education rooted in Russian ideologies, culture, and in some instances, military training.
UN Focuses on Ukraine’s Children Amidst War
The plight and treatment of Ukraine’s children amidst the conflict was a central topic during a recent United Nations Security Council briefing, highlighting the severity of the situation.
Child Casualties in the War’s Wake
Since the outbreak of the conflict, a staggering 545 children have reportedly lost their lives, with close to 17,000 sustaining injuries. Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, suggests that the real figures could be even more devastating.
Russia’s Alleged Policy on Ukrainian Children
Sergіy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s representative at the UN, has accused Russia of orchestrating a systematic campaign of kidnapping and forceful indoctrination of Ukrainian children, a practice supposedly ongoing since 2014.
Ukraine’s Future Tied to its Youth
Highlighting the significance of the younger generation to Ukraine’s destiny, Kyslytsya remarked, “Russia’s aggression is about Ukraine’s future, and there is no future without children.”
US Implements Sanctions Targeting Child Deportations
The US State Department recently introduced sanctions targeting individuals and entities implicated in the forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children. This followed earlier sanctions against Lvova-Belova for her alleged role in the operation. The latest sanctions focus on five Russian politicians believed to be complicit in the deportation of Ukrainian children and facilitating their adoption by Russian families.
