KYIV – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on February 17 that 2,000 children have been returned from Russia and occupied territories since the 2022 invasion, though thousands more remain captives.
Moscow faces accusations of forcibly transferring around 20,000 Ukrainian children from seized areas, with the International Criminal Court issuing 2023 arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner over unlawful deportations classified as war crimes. Kyiv alleges Russia indoctrinated the minors, imposed citizenship, and erased their Ukrainian identity,claims backed by returnees,while Russia insists the moves protected them from frontlines and offers returns upon verified family claims.
Zelensky hailed the milestone on social media but stressed the arduous path ahead, with ongoing small-group repatriations via intermediaries like Gulf states and U.S. First Lady Melania Trump.