Thobile Jiwulane

After ongoing reports in the Western media about an estimated 20 000 children allegedly abducted by Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian authorities through Kateryna Rashevska, a legal expert at the Ukrainian non-governmental organisation, Regional Center for Human Rights, repeated the same allegations in interviews with the South African media recently. This gave the Russian Federation Embassy in South Africa an opportunity to tell the African people what really happened about those children as claimed by Rashevska in the interviews. It’s the first time African audience heard the Russian side of the story on the matter.

Rashevaska’s visit to South Africa last week was part of Ukraine’s attempt to urge the South African government to assist to negotiate the release of the children from Russian custody. She made various allegations about alleged abduction of those children by Russia to which the Russian Embassy in South Africa responded to each of the allegations. Rashevska said the boys and girls, aged between two-months and 17 years, were first taken from Crimea in 2014 and now from other areas that taken over by Russia during the current war that began in February 2022.

Russia’s response to the Ukrainian allegations about ‘abducted’ children

That Russia abducted at least 20 000 children from warzones in Ukraine and took them to Russia and that continues to date:

 Russia did not abduct anyone, it evacuated people from unsafe territories, areas where active hostilities take place. As a matter of fact, our country has harboured more Ukrainian refugees than any other country taken alone. According to the Joint Coordination Headquarters for Humanitarian Response of the Russian Federation, since the start of the special military operation some 4.8 million people including over 700,000 children have been evacuated from dangerous areas of Ukraine and new regions to the territory of Russia.

Most of the evacuated children arrived in Russia with their families, accompanied by either parents or guardians and custodians. They were accommodated in temporary facilities, or whenever possible, rented accommodation.

In April 2024, Russian children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova had the first face-to-face meeting with Ukrainian counterparts, facilitated by the State of Qatar, on the issue of reunification of children with their families (children sought by parents or relatives on either side).

At this meeting, Russian and Ukrainian sides recorded and verified lists of such children. At that time, there were 29 Ukrainian children who lived in Russia and wished to reunite with their families in Ukraine, and 11 Russian children who lived in Ukraine willing to return to their families in Russia.

Maria Lvova-Belova emphasized that Qatar was a witness to the fact that there was no talk of thousands of “abducted” children.  Lvova-Belova said “these figures are a myth”. Ukrainian side didn’t even try to confirm this statement with documents, never provided facts, lists of the 20,000 allegedly “abducted” kids or children’s legal representatives willing to find them.

She alleges that in Russia those children are being sent for adoption by Russian families:

 The Russian Federation does not have any “programme for the adoption of children from the SMO zones.” Information about thousands of adopted children is not true.

Around 2,000 children from orphanages in the Donetsk and Lugansk people’s republics, accompanied by staff, arrived in Russia, with some 380 placed in families with the assistance of the Commissioner in April-October 2022.

Also, we cannot help noticing the widespread, intentional or accidental misinterpretation of terms. Talking about the living conditions of orphans and unaccompanied children, the media use the term ‘adoption’, though the term ‘guardianship’ (or, provisionally, ‘foster care’, ‘custody’) is legally appropriate. In their respect the President of Russia gave an order to remove legal barriers for placing such children mainly under the preliminary guardianship or custody of Russian citizens.

 She alleges the children are being deprived of their Ukrainian identity and forced to become Russians. She alleges they children are being forced to speak Russian language and adopt Russian children:

 Speculations that Russia is deliberately trying to ‘erase children’s national identity’ by forcefully imposing Russian citizenship upon them do not worth the paper they are written on. Russian legislation contains no provisions intended to ‘replace’ or ‘erase’ the distinctive ethnic or cultural identity of minor Ukrainians whatsoever. The acquisition of Russian citizenship is not conditioned by the termination of Ukrainian one. The criteria of proficiency in the Russian language, or knowledge of the history of Russia are not mandatory with the case in question.

Russia’s steps to simplify procedure of granting Russian citizenship are dictated solely by humanitarian reasons, so that children evacuated from frontline zones to our country could fully return to normal peaceful life, while enjoying all the rights and social benefits available to citizens of the Russian Federation.

The Children are allegedly being indoctrinated against Ukraine and the Ukrainian government and the Children are allegedly sent for military training in colleges:

There are no re-education camps in Russia, including camps for children from the SMO zone. The form of recreation for children in health centers and recreation camps is popular in the country and has been developing for 100 years, during which time an extensive infrastructure has been created. This type of recreation is of course available for the children from SMO zones.

As a rule, the program of camp shifts involves not only recreation, but also educational and developmental activities. In November 2022, at the initiative of the Commissioner and the head of the Chechen Republic, a new format camp for teenagers in conflict with the law was held for the first time. The content of the shift is sports and patriotic upbringing. The format is aimed at socialization of underage boys, who are on the preventive registry of law enforcement agencies. There were 192 participants from 15 regions of the Russian Federation. Among them were 30 teenagers from the Donetsk People’s Republic  (DPR) and 15  from Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR)  – all of them came with the consent of their parents. The families have a pro-Russian stance and are interested in the patriotic upbringing of their children.

Since August 2022, at the initiative of the Commissioner, rehabilitation shifts «The Day After Tomorrow» have been held for teenagers from the SMO zone. Initially, the participants were children from the DPR, then there were participants from the LPR, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions, and since 2023 – from border-straddling Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk and other regions. The format of these shifts is designed to help children recover from the stress they’ve been through, adapt to new conditions, and find opportunities to build their own future. After the recreation children returned home to their families.

They are being drafted into the Russian Military for military training to be sent to fight in the War against Ukraine. The children were being abused and at least two were killed by the Russian soldiers:

 We do not comment on unfounded allegations.