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Russia-installed occupation authorities in Ukraine\u2019s Luhansk region created an online \u201ccatalogue\u201d of Ukrainian children, offering them for coerced \u201cadoption\u201d through the education department.<\/p>\n
The database includes 294 Ukrainian children, who are sorted and categorised so that the users can \u201cfilter\u201d them by age, gender and physical traits, like eyes and hair colour.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The children are advertised for their character traits, with some described as “obedient” or “calm”.<\/p>\n
In numerous cases, the children are described as \u201cpolite and respectful towards the adults\u201d, \u201cdisciplined\u201d and \u201cnot conflictive\u201d or \u201ccan be relied on to execute tasks\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Users can also \u201cfilter\u201d the search by the preferred form of guardianship, such as adoption or foster care.<\/p>\n
The Russian-run database describes the children listed in the database as \u201corphans and children left without parental care\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mykola Kuleba, CEO of the Save Ukraine organisation, said most of the children from this \u201ccatalogue\u201d were born in Ukraine\u2019s Luhansk region before Russia occupied it and had Ukrainian citizenship.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cParents of some of them were killed by occupation authorities, others were simply issued Russian identification documents to legitimise their abduction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kuleba said that many children who grew up in territories occupied since Russia\u2019s first invasion of 2014, including Crimea and parts of eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, have been \u201csystematically deported and transferred to Russian families in Moscow and other Russian regions.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t a new tactic. Since 2014, Ukrainian children have appeared in Russian adoption databases. However, since 2022, the practice has become widespread and systematic\u201d, Kuleba said on X.<\/p>\n
He added that initially Russian authorities tried to cover their tracks, shutting down registers and erasing references, but \u201cnow, the pretence is gone\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cRussia isn\u2019t even trying to hide it anymore. Ukrainian orphans are displayed like products in an online marketplace\u201d.<\/p>\n
Kuleba called it \u201cstate-sponsored child trafficking\u201d, adding that Russian authorities have updated the laws to be able to alter the children\u2019s surnames and birthdays.<\/p>\n
The head of Save Ukraine organisation said Russia has \u201cstreamlined\u201d the system to such an extent that \u201ca Ukrainian child can now be effectively ‘ordered’ online\u201d and \u201cstripped of their identity, issued a Russian passport, and subjected to ideological control\u201d with a single click.<\/p>\n
Kuleba also issued a stark warning that the platform exposes the children to significant dangers, including sexual exploitation, human trafficking, illegal adoption and trafficking for organ harvesting.<\/p>\n
Forceful deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia<\/strong><\/p>\n Ukraine has been able to verify Russia\u2019s deportation of over 19,500 children to date. These are the children for whom detailed information has been collected \u2014 their place of residence in Ukraine and their territorial location in Russia are known.\u00a0<\/p>\n Only over 1,350 have been returned, and each return is mediated by a third-party state, notably by Qatar, South Africa and the Vatican.\u00a0<\/p>\n The actual figure is likely to be much higher.<\/p>\n Yale\u2019s Humanitarian Research Lab placed the number of deported Ukrainian children closer to 35,000. Moscow claimed that the number could be as high as 700,000.<\/p>\n The US-based Institute for the Study of War think tank (ISW) stated that stealing the children was one of Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s priorities, referring to the revelations of Ukrainian human rights activists.\u00a0<\/p>\n The ISW uncovered Kremlin documents dated 18 February 2022, which laid out plans to remove Ukrainian children from orphanages in occupied Luhansk and Donetsk regions and bring them to Russia under the guise of \u201chumanitarian evacuations\u201d.<\/p>\n