Ukraine urges the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) to focus on the illegal deportation and forced russification of Ukrainian children, which form the basis of Russia's genocidal policy towards the Ukrainian people.
This statement was made by Ukraine's Permanent Representative to international organizations in Vienna, Yuriy Vitrenko, during the latest Permanent Council session of the OSCE, in response to a report by ODIHR Director Maria Telelyan.
"Illegal deportation and forced russification of Ukrainian children are at the core of the Kremlin's genocidal policy towards the Ukrainian people. These brazen actions are a deliberate campaign against a national group and a violation of the Genocide Convention. Ukraine will never compromise on this issue," he emphasized.
Vitrenko pointed out that 19,546 cases of so-called "placement" of children across the Russian Federation have been documented. Additionally, 1,700 children are considered missing due to Russian aggression. At least 380 Ukrainian children have been illegally adopted or placed under "temporary guardianship" in Russia. As of now, only 1,227 children have been returned, and Russia continues to block the process by all possible means.
"Ukraine will continue to urge the international community to demand full information from Russia about the deported children, ensure access to their locations, and support efforts for their return and reintegration. We consider this an issue of critical importance for future generations. Ukraine expects a more active role from the OSCE in facilitating the return of all deported Ukrainian children, illegally detained civilians and medical workers, protecting the rights of prisoners of war, and securing the release of Crimean political prisoners, as well as other issues where human life and dignity are at stake," the head of Ukraine's OSCE mission stressed.
In his speech, he also emphasized the systematic torture and other forms of abuse suffered by Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in Russian captivity.
"The issue of Russia holding Ukrainian civilians and servicemen in isolation, as well as denying access to them for the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross, remains critically important," he added.
