Ukrainian child’s drawing of a tank from “Faces of War: The Human Factor” (2015 London photography exhibit), Author Still Miracle Photography (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
The war in Ukraine is disproportionately impacting Ukraine’s children. At least 30,000 have been kidnapped and deported to Russia [1][2]. Fears are that the number is far higher. Russia is refusing to disclose information about these children.
This mass deportation is being called cultural genocide, a deliberate effort to destroy the Ukrainian people [3].
Russia’s goal is to brainwash and weaponize these children, who are apparently assembled in camps before deportation and pressured to submit [4].
Children are told by Russian teachers and psychologists that their families will not come for them. They are threatened that their medication will be withheld, if they do not obey. Some have even been placed for weeks in solitary confinement.
The children’s identities are erased, and false papers issued. Russian adoptions are then arranged.
The Old Testament made no bones about kidnapping:
“Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him when he is caught must be put to death” (Ex. 21: 16).
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for the arrest of Russian leader Vladamir Putin for these kidnappings [5]. Putin is accused of fast-tracking the citizenship of the kidnapped children.
The ICC has no enforcement body, relying instead on the cooperation of signatory countries [6]. Neither Russia nor Ukraine are signatories [7]. But Ukraine did grant the ICC jurisdiction to investigate war crimes by Russian forces on its territory. The ICC prosecutor has identified more than 65,000 such crimes.
Meanwhile, the nonprofit Save Ukraine https://www.saveukraineua.org/ is organizing rescue missions to return deported children. Prayers are requested, and donations welcome.
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[1] CBN News, “Report: Russian Military Kidnapping Ukrainian Kids for Forced Adoption, Indoctrination, Brainwashing” by Chuck Holton, 4/24/23, https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/report-russian-military-kidnapping-ukrainian-kids-forced-adoption-indoctrination.
[2] CBN News, “Russia Kidnaps 30,000+ Ukrainian Children to Erase Their Identities: Kremlin Accused of Genocide” by Jenna Browder, 3/26/24, https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/russia-kidnaps-30000-ukrainian-children-erase-their-identities-kremlin-accused-genocide.
[3] Wikipedia, “Genocide”, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genocide.
[4] CBN News, “Report: Russian Military Kidnapping Ukrainian Kids for Forced Adoption, Indoctrination, Brainwashing” by Chuck Holton, 4/24/23, https://www2.cbn.com/news/world/report-russian-military-kidnapping-ukrainian-kids-forced-adoption-indoctrination.
[5] International Criminal Court, “Situation in Ukraine: ICC judges issue warrants against Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova” by 3/17/23, https://www.icc-cpi.int/news/situation-ukraine-icc-judges-issue-arrest-warrants-against-vladimir-vladimirovich-putin-and.
[6] International Criminal Court, “How the Court Works”, https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/how-the-court-works.
[7] Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), “The ICC Wants Putin. Now What?” by Marti Flacks, 3/20/23, https://www.csis.org/analysis/icc-wants-putin-now-what.
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ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving Child Abuse 
30,000 is a terrifying number, and who knows how high it really is. Thanks for sharing this info.
As much as I hate what they are doing I am grateful that you are sharing what is being done. Monsters are real it is sad that they are humans(I use the term loosely) and the horrific crimes they commit.
Thank you, Julie.
Incomprehensible evil.
So right.
Das ist schrecklich grausam, was mit den ukrainischen Kindern passiert. Und die armen Eltern, die damit niemals fertig werden. Wir alle wünschen uns nichts mehr als Friede für alle, aber das ist wohl ein utopischer Wunsch. LG M.
Keiner von uns kann sich vorstellen, seine Kinder durch solch systematische Verletzung der Menschenrechte zu verlieren. Auch der Krieg muss Grenzen haben. Ein solcher Sieg hat keine Ehre. Putin wird verachtet werden. LG, A.
The Assemblies of God my church has missionaries there and working.
cjsmissionaryministry@gmail.com
On Sun, Apr 14, 2024, 12:02 AM ANNA WALDHERR A Voice Reclaimed, Surviving
How wonderful! May God bless and protect them.
As is always the case in war, the children bear the brunt of the evil perpetrated by the elders. For the most part these children are harmless and pose no threat, but the evil minds of war see them as pawns in their attempt to destroy a nation. What better way to destroy the morale of a defending nation than by stealing it’s future generations?
Just when we think we’ve seen every form of evil, another arises.