Ukrainian ambassador to Netherlands: Russia conducts largest-scale abduction of children in Europe since World War II

He made this statement at The Hague University of Applied Sciences during a panel discussion on the impact of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine on children and young people.

"Children are the most vulnerable. They are innocent and have no way to protect themselves. And they are the ones who suffer the most. Many children in Ukraine have been injured. They have lost family members, been forced to leave their homes, or are still living with deep emotional trauma. According to our data, 675 children have been killed and 2,287 wounded as a result of Russia's war crimes. At the same time, the real figures may be significantly higher, as Ukraine does not have access to the temporarily occupied territories and others. Russia is committing a series of crimes directed solely against children. These include deportation, the forced removal of Ukrainian children to Russia or the occupied territories, as well as torture, inhuman treatment, sexual violence, militarization, and aggressive ideological programs aimed at erasing their Ukrainian identity. Russia has committed the largest-scale abduction of children in Europe since World War II," he said.

According to him, the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine is working on approximately 20,000 cases of possible deportation or forced displacement of Ukrainian children to Russia or the occupied territories.

“The truth is that only Russia knows the real number of abducted children,” Kostin stressed.

He emphasized that Russia systematically refuses to provide any information, blocks access to international organizations, and does not allow the UN or independent missions to visit the places where children are being held.

Kostin also noted that Ukraine has developed its own system for searching for and returning children. With the support of the government, civil society organizations, volunteers, and international partners, 1,898 children had been returned home as of December 5, 2025. However, this figure does not mean a decrease in the number of abducted children, as many of the returned children were not included in the list of 20,000 missing children.

"We cannot delay. We must act, because time is running out, and many children were abducted at a very early age. They may forget that they are Ukrainians. Russia is changing their personal data and trying to erase their identity," Kostin emphasized.

He called on the international community to increase pressure on Russia to speed up the return of all abducted Ukrainian children home.

The event was held as part of the photo exhibition “Lost Childhood,” which reflects the eyes and stories of Ukrainian children whose lives have been destroyed by deportation, displacement, and the trauma of war. The exhibition was presented by Bring Kids Back UA, whose goal is to draw attention to the enormous human cost of the conflict.

As reported by Ukrinform, judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Children's Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova.

The Russian president and the Russian president's representative for children's rights are suspected of war crimes in the form of illegal deportation and displacement of the population, including children, from the occupied territory of Ukraine, at least since February 24, 2022.