Russia-Ukraine War: At least 6,000 Ukrainian children were sent to Russian camps

Russia has held at least 6,000 Ukrainian children in re-education camps, according to a US study, which could constitute a war crime.

Since the war began nearly a year ago, children as young as four months old have been taken to 43 camps across Russia, including in Moscow-annexed Crimea and Siberia, to receive “pro-Russian patriotic and military-related education.”

Nathaniel Raymond, a Yale researcher at the Humanitarian Research Lab — funded by the US State Department — said Russia is “clearly” violating the Fourth Geneva Convention on the Treatment of Civilians During War.

He called his team’s report a “giant yellow alert,” referring to public disclosures of child abductions in the United States.

The activity “could in some cases constitute a war crime and a crime against humanity,” he told reporters.

The report calls for a neutral body to be granted access to the camps and for Russia to stop adopting Ukrainian children immediately.

Russia has held at least 6,000 children from Ukraine in re-education camps, which could constitute a war crime, a US study said on Tuesday (file image).

The Ukrainian government recently said more than 14,700 children have been deported to Russia, where some have been sexually exploited.

The US report, which relied on satellite imagery and public accounts, said at least 6,000 children were being sent to camps but that the number was “probably significantly higher”.

Russia has described the effort as rescuing orphans or providing medical care to children. Some parents were pressured into giving their consent to sending their children away, sometimes in the hope they would return, the report said.

It states that the Russian authorities have tried to instill a pro-Moscow perspective in children through school curricula, as well as field trips to patriotic sites and lectures by veterans.

Children were also trained in firearms, although Raymond said there was no evidence they were being sent back to fight.

The Ukrainian government recently said more than 14,700 children have been deported to Russia, where some have been sexually exploited (file image).

Russia invaded Ukraine a year ago, with President Vladimir Putin denying the neighboring country’s historical legitimacy and formally declaring four regions as Russia in September.

The study says that Putin aides were closely involved in the operation, most notably Maria Lvova-Belova, the president’s commissioner for children’s rights.

It quoted her as saying that 350 children have been adopted by Russian families and that more than 1,000 are awaiting adoption.