A recent study has raised alarming claims that thousands of missing Ukrainian children have been taken to Russia and forced into labor camps connected to the war effort. Some reports suggest children as young as eight have been made to assemble drones, mine detectors, and other military equipment.
The findings come from Yale University’s Humanitarian Research Lab (HRL), which documented evidence of at least 210 facilities across Russia used for deportation, re-education, and even coerced adoption of Ukrainian children. Researchers identified different types of facilities, including summer camps, sanatoriums, a military base, and even a monastery.
One striking example is the All-Russian Children’s Centre “Change” in Krasnodar Krai, where over 300 children from occupied Ukrainian regions were reportedly forced to help construct drones and other military hardware. Some of these programs are linked to Yunarmiya, a militarized youth group backed by Russia’s Ministry of Defence.
This issue goes beyond forced labor. The report describes a broader system of indoctrination, re-education, and the erasure of Ukrainian identity. International law experts say these actions may qualify as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The International Criminal Court has already issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin over the unlawful deportation of children.
Ukrainian officials, including deputy foreign minister Mariana Betsa, have called for the immediate return of these children. She stated: “The suffering of children is one of the most unbearable tragedies of this war. For the sake of global peace, Russia must return Ukrainian children home.”
At the same time, the humanitarian toll of the ongoing conflict continues to rise. Recent Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia left at least one dead and several children injured, underscoring the devastating impact this war has on the most vulnerable.
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