Ukraine confirms the return of five other Ukrainian minors forcibly deported to Russia

MADRID Dec. 10 () –

The Ukrainian authorities have confirmed this Monday the return to national territory of five other minors who had been forcibly deported to Russia within the framework of the invasion that began on February 24, 2022 by order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Their stories are evidence of the terror and fear that people are forced to live under the occupation,” lamented the head of the Ukrainian Presidency Office, Andri Yermak, who highlighted that the return has been possible thanks to the coordination of various authorities and the support of volunteers and international partners.

As detailed on his Telegram channel, three of the repatriates are young people who have just reached the age of majority. “Two of them spent a long time in Russia, where they were subjected to psychological pressure. The third young man, deprived of family support, finally left the temporarily occupied territory,” he noted.

In addition, it has reported the release of a family of four members, which includes two children (aged eleven and fourteen), who were “the subject of persecution due to the family’s pro-Ukrainian position.” They have also provided help to a 77-year-old woman who could not evacuate on her own.

In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an international arrest warrant against the defender of the Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova Belova, considering that she has committed alleged war crimes related to deportation. forced movement of Ukrainian minors into Russian territory, an issue that Moscow continues to deny. The court has also called for Putin’s arrest.