International coalition helped repatriate nearly 600 Ukrainian children over past year – Yermak

Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, announced this on Telegram, Ukrinform reports.

He said that the coalition had united 41 countries in a joint mission to repatriate children who were illegally deported by Russia.

"With international support, nearly 600 children have been returned over the past year. However, thousands remain hostages of the Russian Federation. They have been torn away from their homes and families. Russia systematically erases the Ukrainian identity of these children -- changing their names, forging documents, militarizing them, and blocking access to reliable information," Yermak said.

He added that the Montreal commitments, adopted in October, marked a significant step toward creating practical mechanisms for the return of children, prisoners of war, and unlawfully detained civilians.

"Today, 53 countries and international organizations support this document, and the coalition remains open to all willing to contribute to this effort," he said.

Yermak called on Russia to immediately cease the deportation and forced relocation of children and to facilitate their return to Ukraine.

He also stressed that the international community must continue expanding its efforts to reintegrate children who have endured the horrors of war.

As Ukrinform previously reported, Daria Zarivna, an advisor to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, said that 1,037 children had been repatriated from Russia so far.