Russia does not hide the fact that it abducted thousands of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories and continues to do so. First Lady Olena Zelenska shared with foreign journalists the story of how Russians abuse Ukrainian minors, taking them away from their closest relatives.
Points of attention
- Russians force Ukrainian children to be separated from their families and also change their data during forced adoption.
- Olena Zelenska emphasises the importance of international efforts in the fight for the return of stolen children and support of children's rights.
- The documentary "Abducted Childhood" reveals the real stories of Ukrainian children who suffered from Russian aggression.
What is essential to know about the Russian "adoption" of abducted Ukrainian children?
According to the president's wife, she knows about a case when a citizen of the Russian Federation took custody of a boy kidnapped by Russians from the occupied territory of the Donetsk region.
However, she did not want to take his brother and sister, thus separating members of the same family.
The children were separated against their wishes! In Ukraine, let me remind you that it is forbidden to separate brothers and sisters during adoption. The forcibly adopted boy's data was also changed: first name, last name, patronymic and even place of birth — despite the opposition of the child himself... Another Russian crime against the backdrop of the kidnapping of at least 19 thousand Ukrainian children.
Olena Zelenska
First Lady of Ukraine
Olena Zelenska once again noted that the only effective tool for combating Russia's arbitrariness towards defenceless children remains the joint efforts of all free countries.
The wife of the president is also pleasantly surprised by the fact that the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which was launched on October 28, 2023 as part of the implementation of the Peace Formula of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is constantly growing.
According to the First Lady, Argentina also recently joined the coalition. Currently, 37 Ukrainian allies have joined the coalition.
It is important that all countries of the world understand as soon as possible: the rights and protection of Ukrainian children are about the rights and protection of their children as well, — concluded Olena Zelenska.
Whyessentialportant to watch the documentary "Abducted Childhood"
A year ago, the Online.UA team created this film, to tell the truth about Russia's abduction of Ukrainian children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
The documentary contains real stories of children and their families who suffered from Russia's war against Ukraine, as well as comments from leading scientists, psychologists, lawyers and experts on the protection of children's rights.
The heroes of the documentary film went through Russian captivity, torture, abduction to a health camp, some were separated from their parents during the so-called filtering measures.
