Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kremlin officials have facilitated the transport of at least 314 Ukrainian children in Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine into coerced foster care and adoptions since the 2022 invasion. The children have been listed in Russia’s child placement databases or placed directly with Russian families. The Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University found that Russian foster parents can apply for Russian citizenship on behalf of Ukrainian children in their custody, erasing their Ukrainian identity. The report is based on leaked documents showing Putin’s involvement in the program, including the use of Russian government planes to transfer children. The findings may provide new evidence for the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Putin and his commissioner for children on alleged war crimes related to the deportation of Ukrainian children. Russia denies war crimes and insists the adoptions are part of a humanitarian program. Yale law professor Oona Hathaway believes the evidence could support a broader case of genocide under the ICC’s Rome Statute. The findings will be presented to the United Nations Security Council, aiming to protect the special status of children in war and prevent them from becoming bargaining chips.
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