In a shocking revelation, Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine’s Luhansk region have created an online “catalog” listing Ukrainian children, intensifying international condemnation of Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian citizens. The database includes 294 children and allows users to filter them by age, gender, and physical traits. Disturbingly, some entries also describe “obedience” and personality traits such as “humble,” “disciplined,” and “obedient.”
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What Happened?
The “catalog” has been widely condemned across the globe. The organization Save Ukraine describes it as part of a systematic effort by Russia to kidnap and exile Ukrainian children. Many of these children are labeled as “orphans and children left without parental care,” despite numerous cases where children were born in Ukrainian territories and retain Ukrainian citizenship.
Save Ukraine CEO Mykola Kuleba explained that some children’s parents were killed by Russian forces or officials, while others were given Russian identity documents to legalize their forced removal. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, such kidnappings have increased, especially in territories occupied since 2014, including Crimea, Donetsk, and parts of Luhansk.
Kuleba also revealed that Russian authorities initially attempted to conceal these actions by closing registers and erasing records but have now openly displayed these children “like products on a market.”
A State-Sponsored System of Child Trafficking
Human rights groups characterize the forced exile and smuggling of Ukrainian children as a form of “state-sponsored child trafficking.” Save Ukraine criticized the Russian government for streamlining a process where a Ukrainian child can be “ordered” online, stripped of their identity, issued a Russian passport, and subjected to ideological control.
Kuleba warned of the severe risks faced by these children, including sexual abuse, illegal adoption, human trafficking, and even the horrifying possibility of organ harvesting.
Scale of the Forced Exile
The Ukrainian government has confirmed the forced removal of more than 19,500 children to Russia, with only about 1,350 returned so far through the efforts of third-party nations such as Qatar, South Africa, and the Vatican. Experts believe the actual number may be significantly higher. The Yale Human Research Laboratory estimates up to 35,000 children may have been taken, while some Russian sources suggest the number could reach 700,000.
Documents from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin has prioritized the removal of Ukrainian children from orphanages in occupied territories under the guise of “humanitarian evacuation.”
Diplomatic Efforts and International Response
Ukraine has demanded the immediate return of kidnapped children, considering the repatriation of at least half a potential step toward peace. During talks in Istanbul, Ukraine submitted a detailed list of abducted children believed to be in Russia. Although Russian officials deny the scope of the issue, sources say Moscow is fully aware of each child’s whereabouts.
The ongoing forced exile constitutes a severe violation of international law and human rights. Ukraine, together with global advocacy groups, continues to press for the immediate return of these children, calling the issue one of the most urgent and painful consequences of the conflict.