Since the beginning of 2023, the occupiers have kidnapped about two thousand Ukrainian children

This was reported by Ukrinform, citing US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter.

During a special meeting of the Permanent Council in Vienna on Friday, Carpenter reminded the world of Russia's criminal actions and violations of the rules of war.

In recent weeks, we have seen Russia double down on some of its most heinous actions in Ukraine. This includes continuing to forcibly remove children from their families and homes in Ukraine and move them to Russia. Russia has reportedly kidnapped up to two thousand children from Ukraine to Russia since the New Year under the guise of protecting them from the violence of Russian same war," Carpenter said.

He added that the aggressor has illegally transferred or deported thousands of Ukrainians to Russia from Russian-occupied territories, "which is another serious violation of the Geneva Conventions.

The ambassador also pointed out that lists of children are being drawn up in occupied Donetsk and Luhansk, who are planned to be used as cannon fodder after they reach adulthood.

Children born in 2005 and 2006 are already subject to mandatory military registration. Such early planning to use Ukrainian children as cannon fodder in Russia's war - and here I have no other words - is simply outright evil," Carpenter added.