Over 15,000 Civilians Killed; Nearly 80% Of Deported Ukrainian Children Not Returned To Families: UN Report

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine has found that Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity, including the deportation, forcible transfer, and enforced disappearance of Ukrainian children, according to its latest report to the UN Human Rights Council.

The Commission said thousands of children have been deported to the Russia or transferred to Russian-occupied areas within Ukraine, verifying more than 1,200 such cases across five regions. It noted that nearly 80% of the children identified in documented cases have not been returned, despite relocations initially being described by Russian authorities as "evacuations."

"From the cases investigated by the Commission, 80 per cent of the children have not yet returned. Those who managed to organize returns encountered obstacles, delays, and security risks. Many parents and legal guardians remain unaware of the fate and whereabouts of the children and are still searching for them," the report mentioned.

Citing data from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the report highlighted the broader toll of the war, 5,172 civilians have been killed, and 41,378 civilians have been injured, since "the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in 2022."

The Commission said it had gathered extensive evidence pointing to war crimes and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, with long-term consequences for civilians, including children.

"The deportation and forcible transfer of children is a grave violation of international law," said Erik Møse, chair of the Commission, stressing that children must not be separated from their families under coercion.

The report claims that the transfers were carried out as part of a policy directed at the "highest levels of the Russian leadership, with visible involvement of President Vladimir Putin and children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova."

It added that Russian authorities have failed to provide families with information about the children’s whereabouts and have placed many in long-term arrangements with families or institutions across 21 regions in Russia and occupied territories.

The Commission also examined trials conducted by Russian courts, reviewing dozens of cases involving Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war. Many were convicted on charges such as terrorism and espionage, receiving sentences ranging from eight years to life imprisonment.

In its recommendations, the Commission urged Russia to immediately halt the deportation and transfer of children, disclose full information about their status and location, and restore communication between the children and their families.

The Commission investigated the conduct of trials by Russian Federation courts in the context of "the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine." It relied on 128 interviews, 218 documents, 28 videos, and 1216 open-source materials. The Commission focused on a sample of 72 trials by four courts in the Russian Federation and eight “courts” in Russian occupied territories of Ukraine, concerning 68 civilians and 60 prisoners of war from Ukraine.

Of these, 69 trials led to convictions and three are still ongoing. The report states that the accused were charged under Russian criminal law, mostly for crimes related to "terrorism, espionage, violent seizure of power and sentenced to imprisonment ranging from eight to 25 years, or life imprisonment."

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine is a UN body created by the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 4, 2022, to investigate human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.