Russia is Stealing Ukrainian Children

In a ploy to keep children safe, Russia is kidnapping Ukrainian children and forcing them to assimilate into Russian society.

More than 19,000 children have been kidnapped and deported from Ukraine since 2022.

According to the Yale School of Medicine, the number could be much higher. The Yale Humanitarian Research Lab states that, "Hundreds of children––including those with families––were taken from Ukraine and illegally placed for adoption in Russia or placed in Russian families. In at least one case, Russia’s government re-issued the child’s birth certificate, changing the child’s name and place of birth. Such changes in personal information present significant barriers to identifying the child for return."

Additionally, the Institute for the Study of War reports that, “The true number of deported children is near-impossible to verify, but the implication remains the same—Russia has stolen tens, potentially hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian children with the explicit intent of eradicating their Ukrainian identities and turning them into Russians. International law explicitly forbids the forcible transfer of children from one group to another group for the purpose of destroying, in whole or in part, a national or ethnic group, and considers these violations as constituent acts of genocide.”

These actions are considered both war crimes and crimes against humanity. We urge you to stay educated on this topic and support the safe return of these children. Please join us in praying for each wrongfully taken child and calling for political action. We can't stand by and watch this happen.