Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost two years ago, only 517 children of some 20,000 who were illegally taken and held in Russia have been returned, Ukrainian Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said.
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According to official data issued by the Ukrainian authorities, at least 19,546 children had been taken from Ukraine to Russia as of the end of last year. The number refers only to those cases that were officially recorded, and the real figure is believed to be considerably higher.
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Lubinets, addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 14, said 2,828 adults were also returned, including 150 civilians.
“Our task is to return everyone,” Lubinets said, calling on the international community to “immediately step up efforts in this direction.”
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants in March last year against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Moscow’s commissioner for children's rights, on war crimes charges related to the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children, along with the unlawful transfer of people to Russia from Ukraine since it invaded in February 2022.
The ICC said Putin and Lvova-Belova were accused of "having committed the acts directly, jointly with others and/or through others."
The ICC said Putin had failed "to exercise control properly over civilian and military subordinates who committed the acts, or allowed for their commission, and who were under his effective authority and control, pursuant to superior responsibility."
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The ICC decision was backed by the United States and most EU countries, but a joint EU decision was blocked by Hungary.
The Kremlin has rejected accusations of forced deportation. Russian authorities claim that they “saved children” from hostilities and are ready to return those whom their parents and guardians ask for.