**Ukraine Retrieves 8 Children Forcibly Taken by Russia**
Eight children who were taken from their families in Ukraine and brought to Russian-occupied territory have been returned home. This is according to a report from Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian Parliament’s Commissioner for Human Rights.
The children, some of whom are siblings, were separated from their families due to the war and occupation. Some had lost their parents. The children were from Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblast.
**Thousands of Children Abducted by Russia**
Since February 2022, at least 20,000 Ukrainian children have been abducted from Russian-occupied territories. This is according to the “Children of War” database in Ukraine. The actual number is estimated to be much higher, with some reports suggesting up to 200,000 children.
Ukraine considers these abductions a war crime and argues that they meet the U.N.‘s legal definition of genocide. Russia claims it is relocating children to protect them from conflict zones.
**International Response**
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over their involvement in the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children. Russia dismissed this decision as “outrageous and unacceptable”.
A study published by Yale School of Public Health revealed that Russia has a systematic program of deporting and forcibly assimilating Ukrainian children. The study found that children were transported via military aircraft, reclassified as native-born Russians, and subjected to pro-Russian re-education before being adopted into Russian families.
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