War Crime: Russia's Kidnapping Ukrainian Children

 

In another despicable war crime, Russia has been scooping up children in some areas of Ukraine that they control and sending them to Russia, according to a New York Times account:

"Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began in February, Russian authorities have announced with patriotic fanfare the transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia to be adopted and become citizens. On state-run television, officials offer teddy bears to new arrivals, who are portrayed as abandoned children being rescued from war.

In fact, this mass transfer of children is a potential war crime, regardless of whether they were orphans. And while many of the children did come from orphanages and group homes, the authorities also took children whose relatives or guardians want them back, according to interviews with children and families on both sides of the border."  (our emphasis)

The kidnapping of Ukrainian children and adopting them as Russians is part of war criminal and thug Vladimir Putin's program to turn as much of occupied Ukraine into de facto Russia, despite the illegality of such a move and world-wide condemnation of the annexations:

"This systematic resettlement is part of a broader strategy by the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin, to treat Ukraine as a part of Russia and cast his illegal invasion as a noble cause. His government has used children — including the sick, poor and orphaned — as part of a propaganda campaign presenting Russia as a charitable savior. [snip]

Transferring people out of an occupied territory can be a war crime, and experts say the practice is especially thorny when it involves children, who may not be able to consent. Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of perpetrating a genocide. The forced transfer of children, when intended to destroy a national group, is an act of genocide under international law.

Russian officials have made clear that their goal is to replace any childhood attachment to home with a love for Russia." (our emphasis)  

If they're not bombing Ukrainian schools, playgrounds and hospitals, the Russian invaders are kidnapping children, for these purposes and perhaps for future hostage swaps. Add this to the growing list of Putin's war crimes in Ukraine.