Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova in Moscow, Russia May 31, 2024. Sputnik/Alexander Kazakov/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Yale Report: Kremlin-Orchestrated Program Deported Ukrainian Children to Russia
A report from Yale’s School of Public Health, supported by the U.S. State Department, has detailed a Kremlin-funded program that forcibly transferred Ukrainian children to Russia during the early stages of the war. The program involved stripping the children of their Ukrainian identities and placing them with Russian families, often after subjecting them to “pro-state and militarized propaganda,” according to the report.
Systematic Deportation Program
The report identified 314 children who were taken from occupied Ukrainian territories between February and October 2022. It alleges these actions were part of a Kremlin-led plan to “Russify” Ukrainian children, facilitated by the use of Russian presidential aircraft and resources.
Nathaniel Raymond, Executive Director of Yale’s Humanitarian Research Lab, said the findings suggest grounds for additional charges of “forcible transfer” against Russian President Vladimir Putin by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Forcible transfer is classified as a crime against humanity under international law, which is considered more severe than the war crimes charges Putin already faces.
Evidence Presented
The research draws on data from Russian government adoption databases, mapping the logistics and funding of the program. Of the 314 children identified:
- 166 were placed directly with Russian families.
- 148 remained in Russian child placement institutions, with some awaiting adoption.
The report also traced flights organized by the Russian Defense Ministry and presidential administration that transported children from occupied territories like Donetsk and Luhansk to Russia. These flights used military transport planes, including one operated by the 223rd Flight Squad of the Russian Defense Ministry.
ICC and Legal Ramifications
In March 2023, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s child rights commissioner, over allegations of deporting Ukrainian children. The Yale report strengthens the case for additional charges, according to experts like Stephen Rapp, a former U.S. ambassador-at-large for war crimes.
Rapp highlighted that Russia’s changes to adoption laws in early 2022 enabled the accelerated adoption of Ukrainian children, bypassing its own legal standards.
Russian Defense
Maria Lvova-Belova has claimed that Russia acted to protect children in war zones and denied any coercion. She asserted that legal guardians’ consent was always sought unless they were missing. However, Ukrainian officials estimate that approximately 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or occupied Crimea since the war began, far exceeding the Kremlin’s figures.
Russia does not recognize the ICC and has dismissed its charges as politically motivated, stating that the court’s warrants have no practical impact.
Propaganda and “Patriotic Re-Education”
The report documents “patriotic re-education” programs at facilities where Ukrainian children were processed. These efforts aimed to assimilate the children into Russian culture and foster loyalty to the Russian state.
Global and Humanitarian Implications
The findings come amid broader U.S. efforts to document Russia’s potential violations of international law during the Ukraine conflict. Nathaniel Raymond is scheduled to present the findings to the U.N. Security Council, as the U.S. holds the rotating presidency of the council this month.
The report not only highlights violations of international law but also underscores the devastating personal impact on families and children forcibly separated by the conflict. As investigations continue, international pressure on Russia over these alleged actions is likely to intensify.
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