In a significant breakthrough, Ukrainian and German law enforcement agencies have successfully located 161 Ukrainian children who were abducted by Russia and subsequently found in Germany. This development, announced on April 17, underscores the escalating tensions and humanitarian concerns stemming from the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
Ivan Vyhivskyi, Chief of the Ukrainian National Police, revealed this information during a meeting with Holger Münch, President of the German Federal Criminal Police Office, in Berlin. "Thanks to our cooperation with German law enforcement agencies in documenting the Russian war crimes, specifically the deportation and forced displacement of Ukrainian children, the location of 161 Ukrainian children in Germany who were being sought as forcibly displaced to temporarily occupied territories or deported to Russia and Belarus has been established," Vyhivskyi stated.
The children were among the thousands who have been forcibly displaced or abducted to Russia and Belarus following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the Ukrainian state platform, Children of War, as of January 2024, a staggering 19,546 children had been abducted or forcibly transferred to Russia.
This discovery is part of Kyiv's ongoing efforts to document Russian war crimes, particularly the abduction of children. Vyhivskyi emphasized the importance of joint actions with German partners, both bilaterally and under the auspices of Europol, in bringing Russian war criminals to justice.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has also been involved in this matter, issuing arrest warrants on March 17 for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova for their involvement in the unlawful removal of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation since February 24, 2022.
Despite these efforts, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in late February that the exact number of Ukrainians, including children, adult civilians, and military personnel, in Russian custody remains uncertain.
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