Ukraine has managed to return 1,458 deported children from Russia - Office of the President

This was discussed during a meeting of the heads of Ukraine’s foreign diplomatic missions, as reported by the Office of the President.

During the meeting, a plenary session was held dedicated to the topic of deportation, forced relocation, and abduction of Ukrainian children by Russia.

The event was attended by the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the Operational Director of the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, Daria Zarivna, as well as the Advisor – Authorized Representative of the President of Ukraine for children’s rights and rehabilitation, Daria Herasymchuk.

Zarivna emphasized that the deportation of Ukrainian children is a challenge to the entire system of international humanitarian law.

“The Bring Kids Back UA initiative became a response to an unprecedented crime. Today, it is not just an initiative. It is a global movement that brought the issue of abducted children to the center of the international agenda. We managed to bring home 1,458 children, but more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under enemy control. We have the power to change this, and diplomacy plays a key role in this,” emphasized the Operational Director of Bring Kids Back UA.

She also expressed gratitude to the embassies of Ukraine for supporting the information campaign ChildrenAreNonNegotiable, which reached millions of people and influenced the adoption of the European Parliament’s resolution on the return of Ukrainian children, as well as the decisions of the national parliaments of several countries.

“Even a few minutes can change someone’s life. Share the stories of Ukrainian children in your countries, because they are a common value today that can unite people around the world. Speak not with your own voice, but with the voice of the children that Russia is trying to deprive the world of hearing,” noted Herasymchuk.

Session participants discussed further steps in diplomatic and human rights interaction, including the possibility of engaging new countries in the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children.