Ukrainian law enforcement officers are checking information about more than 19,500 children who were forcibly deported by Russia under the guise of humanitarian motives, Prosecutor-General of Ukraine Andriy Kostin has said.
Kostin noted that such actions are prohibited by international humanitarian law. He also added that the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on Violations in Ukraine concluded that "in none of the situations considered by the Commission did the displacement of children meet the requirements established by international humanitarian law. The movements were not justified on security or medical grounds".
"In our proceedings, we are verifying information on 19546 children who were forcibly removed by Russia under the guise of 'humanitarian operations'", said Kostin.
According to the prosecutor-general, these children are not only displaced, but also deprived of their Ukrainian identity: they are granted Russian citizenship, placed in Russian families, forced to undergo re-education in Russian, and forbidden to speak Ukrainian.
Adolescent boys are often forced to participate in militarisation programmes.
"We must use every opportunity to effectively counter these blatant violations of international law and bring the children home. We have neither legal nor moral grounds to stop until every child returns home safe and sound," he said.
Almost 3,500 war crimes committed by the Russian army against children are being investigated in Ukraine.