Ombudsman says how many children were taken out of Kherson region by Russians over the summer

Over the summer of 2024, Russians took about three thousand children out of Kherson Region. This was reported by Ukrainian human rights ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets in Telegram.

He pointed out that the invaders take children out ostensibly on holiday, but it is almost impossible to return them later to their homeland.

Under the disguise of recreation, recreational, cultural and educational programmes, 3,310 children were transferred to various camps in remote regions of the Russian Federation," Lubinets stressed.

At the same time, he pointed out that the main purpose of such transfers was re-education. When Ukrainian children are taken to Russia, they try to convince them that Ukraine started the war and that they themselves are not Ukrainians but Russians. The invaders also teach children to shoot, assemble drones and fight in hand-to-hand combat. Adult children are persuaded to go to military school.

Lubinets said that in order to re-educate the Russians arrange defence and sports camps in Vologda and "University shifts" organised in Tula. According to the ombudsman, the Russians involve Ukrainian children in excursions, master classes, sports competitions and programmes that promote forced assimilation and militarisation.

These actions are part of Russia's targeted strategy aimed at destroying the national identity of Ukrainian children by planting Russian culture, history and language and attracting them to fight against their native country in the future," Lubinets added.

In total, Russia has deported more than 19,000 children from Ukraine. Just over 1,000 of the removed children have been returned home. The ombudsman warns that 1.5 million children are under the threat of deportation, which the Russians can take to their territory.

It was for the deportation of Ukrainian children that the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.