Russians are trying to collect from 1,500 to 2,000 children from the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to take them to Russia allegedly for New Year's Christmas events, displaced Melitopol mayor Ivan Fedorov has said on the air of the national telethon, RBC-Ukraine reports.
According to Fedorov, Russians are using propaganda for a cover-up: the children will allegedly be taken to Moscow for the New Year holidays. He recalled the cases when in September children from Enerhodar, Kamyanka-Dniprovska and other occupied territories of Zaporizhzhya Region were taken to Crimea and Russia for a week. Later they were held there allegedly on vacation for two months.
Fedorov called on all parents who remain in occupied areas not to give their children to the occupiers.
"The enemy has repeatedly shown that Russia needs them either for propaganda or as a human shield. Therefore, it is unknown whether the children will return home," he said.