European Parliament urges Russia to return deported Ukrainian children

Members of the European Parliament have demanded that Russia immediately stop the practice of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children, stressing Moscow's full responsibility for safeguarding the rights of children living in the occupied territories. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT In a resolution (source in Russian) adopted by 536 votes in favour, 8 against and 37 abstentions, European lawmakers condemned Russia's systematic deportation of Ukrainian children, their forcible transfer, illegal adoption, forced Russification, ideological indoctrination and militarisation during the war. The European Parliament had already adopted a similar resolution (source in English) (source in Russian) more than a year ago. MEPs called on Russia to immediately, safely and unconditionally return all deported and forcibly transferred Ukrainian children from territories under its control to Ukraine free from occupation. According to Brussels' calculations, as of September 2026, 20,651 cases of deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia have been confirmed. At the same time, it is estimated that around 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain in territories occupied by Russia. As of 28 October 2026, 2,752 children who had been deported, forcibly taken away or evacuated from occupied territories have been returned. The text states that returning the children is an obligation under international law and cannot be used as a subject of political bargaining or linked to territorial concessions, prisoner exchanges or other political agreements. Such return, the authors of the resolution argue, is not only an urgent humanitarian task, it should become a key element of international efforts to hold Russia to account for war crimes. Lasting peace is impossible without respect for children's rights and accountability for those who violate them, the MEPs conclude. Is Russia's policy towards Ukrainian children genocide? A number of Members of the European Parliament described the actions of Russian forces and authorities towards Ukrainian children as genocide. The term was used in the debate, in particular, by Latvian MEP from the Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Rihards Kols and Lithuanian liberal from Renew Petras Austrevicius, who said: "These are war crimes, crimes against humanity and an attempt to conceal genocide. Ukrainian children have only one homeland, Ukraine. That is where they belong." According to international law, the forcible transfer of children from one group to another with the intention of destroying that group constitutes genocide and must be punished, the European People's Party, which has the largest group in the European Parliament, points out in a publication. During the debate, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas suggested that Russia may already be sending abducted Ukrainian children to fight against their own country. The European Parliament also demanded the immediate closure of online catalogues offering Ukrainian children for adoption and placement with foster families. The European Parliament also called on EU member states to step up practical cooperation with Ukraine, international partners and specialised organisations to speed up the identification, documentation, tracing and return of missing and deported children. In addition, it is proposed to expand existing EU sanctions against officials and organisations involved in the deportation of children. European Parliament: not only top officials must answer The European Parliament again expressed full support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), its independent and unhindered work, and the arrest warrants it has issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidential commissioner for children's rights in the Russian Federation, Maria Lvova-Belova. The warrants are linked to accusations of committing a war crime, namely the unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children. At the same time, the MEPs stressed that responsibility should extend not only to Russia's top leadership but to the entire chain of individuals directly involved in committing these crimes or facilitating them.