Stolen Future: How the Enemy Is Deporting Ukrainian Children—and Why We Must Bring Every One of Them Home
Since the first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the assault has gone beyond the destruction of Ukrainian towns and villages—it has targeted Ukraine’s future. As of 2025, more than 20,000 Ukrainian children are officially known to have been forcibly taken to the territory of Russia or temporarily occupied Crimea. These were not evacuations. These children were not given shelter or protection—they were held without the consent of their parents, of the state, or of the children themselves. They are not orphans. They are not refugees, as the Kremlin cynically tries to claim. These are real boys and girls, with families, names, and memories—who, in a single moment, found themselves on the other side of the border.
Russia Isn’t Just Deporting Ukrainian Children — It’s Rewriting Their Identities
Each child forcibly held is not only torn from home — they are subjected to a campaign of psychological erasure. What’s happening is not simple abduction; it is a deliberate attempt to break, reshape, and Russify them.
How the Abduction and “Re-education” System Works
Once removed from Ukraine, children are scattered across the vast geography of Russia, from occupied Crimea to Chita in Siberia. Many are first placed in so-called “temporary holding centers”—often camps or state-run institutions. These facilities are frequently marked by harsh discipline and intensive ideological indoctrination.
Children’s surnames are changed. They are granted Russian citizenship. Then, they are given to foster families. In some cases, the children are handed over to Russian foster families through fast-tracked adoption procedures, personally endorsed by Vladimir Putin. A child who once lived in a Ukrainian town or village might now be reintroduced as “Ivan from Rostov.” And just like that, the Russian state coldly declares: “This is our citizen.”
Inside these institutions and homes, children are exposed to Russian propaganda: Ukraine is portrayed as a “non-existent state,” the Ukrainian Armed Forces as “terrorists,” and Russia as a “liberator.” They are taught to praise Putin, wear the St. George ribbon, and march in Youth Army (Yunarmiya) formations.¹ The psychological pressure is so systematic and aggressive that many begin to internalize this false reality.
This is not incidental or accidental. It is a coordinated state policy, one that has been recognized by the international community as a war crime. What Russia is doing to these children is part of a broader strategy—to strip Ukraine of its future, to destroy the nation by breaking its next generation. In legal and moral terms, this is an act of genocide—an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity by targeting the youngest, most vulnerable citizens.
Who is Bringing Ukrainian Children Home—and How
As of early 2025, Over 1,200 children have been returned to Ukraine. But that’s just a drop in the ocean. Behind each return lies a complex operation: negotiations, crossing multiple borders, paperwork, mediation, locating the Russian family holding the child, and cooperation with international organizations.
The state initiative Bring Kids Back UA is leading the effort, with crucial support from Save Ukraine, as well as foreign governments and volunteers, many of whom physically escort the children across borders to bring them home. But the hardest part isn’t the journey—it’s finding the child in the first place, especially after they’ve been “rewritten.” Russian authorities routinely conceal their true locations, alter their identities, or flat-out deny their existence. That’s why every return is a marathon of pain, nerves, and sleepless nights for parents, lawyers, and human rights advocates.
Will We Bring Every Ukrainian Child Home?
This isn’t just a legal or political issue — it’s about identity. About who we are, and what we’re willing to do for our children. Right now, there’s no mass repatriation mechanism. To bring all of them home, we may need to wait for the war to end—or for the political regime in Russia to collapse.
But waiting does not mean giving up. An international coalition of over 40 countries is already working. A platform has been launched to document every case of illegal deportation. Hundreds of pieces of evidence are being collected for future legal proceedings. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has already issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his accomplice, Maria Lvova-Belova. These are not just symbolic acts; they are the foundation for future accountability.
Ukraine is among the few nations in history fighting to repatriate its children amid an ongoing war, not after. We can’t afford to stop. Every child we bring back is a triumph over those who sought to erase their identity, language, and heritage. It’s our moral obligation. Because each of these children is an integral part of Ukraine; their memories, their language, their roots. That’s what we’re fighting for. Therefore, Ukraine continues to fight for its children and will not stop. Because our future depends on bringing these children home.
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¹ Yunarmiya is a Russian state-sponsored youth organization founded in 2015 and backed by the Ministry of Defence. While framed as promoting patriotism and military preparedness, it also functions as a tool of state propaganda—shaping nationalist sentiment, glorifying military service, and fostering loyalty to government narratives from a young age.
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Created with the support of the Association of Independent Regional Publishers of Ukraine and Amediastiftelsen as part of the Regional Media Support Hub project. The authors’ views do not necessarily coincide with the official position of the partners.
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