The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has adopted amendments to the law “On the Protection of Childhood,” aimed at strengthening the protection of the rights of deported and forcibly displaced children. This is an important step towards formalizing the legal mechanisms for the return of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories and the aggressor state.
This is reported by Kyiv24
New Definitions and Legal Framework for the Deportation of Children
According to the new provisions, the law now contains a clear definition of the term “deportation of a child”: “illegal (unlawful) transfer, with or without the use of violence, by a state recognized as an aggressor, of a child through eviction and/or other actions, including in the absence of the informed opinion of the child and their legal representatives regarding their transfer from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of the aggressor state, or to the territory of its allies in the absence of grounds provided by the laws of Ukraine and international law.”
The law also states that “The procedure for the return to the territory of Ukraine, where state authorities exercise their powers, reintegration, and adaptation of deported and forcibly displaced children shall be determined by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.” This creates a legal basis for re-establishing contact with Ukrainian children who have been illegally taken abroad.
The Situation of Deportation of Ukrainian Children and the International Context
According to Ukrainian official sources, over 20,000 Ukrainian children are currently in Russia and occupied territories. Meanwhile, estimates by the Verkhovna Rada Commissioner for Human Rights, Dmytro Lubinets, suggest that the number of children taken away may reach around 150,000, which constitutes violations of international law.
The director of the organization Bring Kids Back UA, Daria Zarivna, reported that since the beginning of the full-scale war, Russia has claimed to have taken 744,000 Ukrainian children, but Ukraine has no means to confirm or deny this data due to the lack of cooperation with the Russian Federation. According to official data, as of February 2025, 1,227 children have been returned from the territory of Russia and occupied lands. In the international context, the International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova, suspecting them of committing war crimes — forced deportations and population transfers.