BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders announced new sanctions Monday targeting 16 officials and seven facilities they say have participated in Russia’s systematic removal of tens of thousands of Ukrainian children from their homes.
The sanctioned facilities are accused of indoctrinating the children or preparing them for military service with Russian forces or pro-Russian groups operating within Ukraine.
The latest round of penalties brings the total number of individuals and organizations facing EU sanctions related to these child abductions to more than 130.
European Union headquarters stated that the asset freezes and travel restrictions were implemented because these officials and institutions are considered “responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.”
Estimates suggest that approximately 20,500 children have been illegally removed or forcibly relocated to Russia or Russian-controlled areas in eastern Ukraine since Moscow began its full-scale military assault in early 2022.
European officials report that many of these children have their Ukrainian heritage and culture systematically erased, receive Russian citizenship documents, and are placed in adoptive families. Others face forced enrollment in indoctrination programs or military training facilities.
“Russia is trying to erase their identity,” said Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže during Monday’s meeting with European counterparts in Brussels, where the sanctions received approval. “When you look at the Genocide Convention, it’s one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it’s very serious.”
The International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s arrest on war crimes charges, holding him personally accountable for these forced relocations.
While approximately 2,200 children have been returned to Ukraine, the identification process remains extremely challenging. Young children who were taken can become difficult to recognize after just a few years. The process of bringing them home is traumatic, and some children face difficulties readjusting upon their return.
On Monday, the EU joined Canada in hosting a gathering of the 47-nation International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, aimed at increasing diplomatic pressure on Russia and building support for efforts to locate and track those who have been taken.
“War has really many faces, but stealing the children is really one of the most horrific,” said EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos before the meeting. “We should stop this, and Russia should pay.”
Monday’s sanctions target individuals including camp directors, government officials, and military personnel overseeing youth programs.
Among the 16 people named was Lilya Shvetsova, who runs the “Red Carnation” facility in occupied Crimea. The EU stated she oversees “activities aimed at shaping the political and ideological views of children present at the facility, including Ukrainian children.”
Like others facing sanctions, she was found to be “supporting and implementing actions and policies contributing to the deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination, or militarized education of Ukrainian minors.”
