A New York Times investigation revealed that thousands of Ukrainian children have been sent to Russia for adoption
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, thousands of Ukrainian children have been transferred to Russia, where they were adopted before becoming Russian citizens, the US newspaper explains. Die New York Times On an investigation.
The newspaper was able to speak to the children, their relatives and foster families. Russian state television regularly shows politicians handing out teddy bears to newcomers, portrayed as abandoned children rescued from war by Moscow.
But he says the mass displacement of children is a potential war crime Die New York Timeswhether these children are orphans or not. Although many of them actually come from orphanages and homes, Russian and pro-Russian authorities have also taken in children who have been claimed by parents or guardians, according to the newspaper.
This adoption policy corresponds to a global strategy aimed at treating Ukraine as an integral part of Russia and justifying the invasion of the country as a noble cause. Die New York Times. The newspaper says that in this way the Russian government is using mostly and mostly very sick, poor and vulnerable children to serve its propaganda and portray Russia as a savior.
Among the children interviewed in the article, 14-year-old Ania left a medical facility in Mariupol, where she was treated for tuberculosis. A bus that was supposed to take them to Zaporizhia was diverted to a Russian checkpoint before heading to Donetsk, the eponymous capital of the Russian-occupied administrative region since 2014, according to the children on board. recently added through the Russian Federation. According to the US newspaper, the self-proclaimed pro-Russian republic is at the heart of Putin’s adoption policy.
During her flight, Anya was unable to pull out her sketchbook, in which she kept her mother’s phone number. She now lives with a host family near Moscow who treats her well. She will soon be officially Russian. “I don’t want to. My friends and family aren’t here.”The teenager, who has communicated several times with the American journalist via messages and voice memos, regrets it.
That Die New York Times He also met a resident of Salekhard in Siberia. She adopted four Ukrainian children between the ages of 6 and 17, all from Donetsk Oblast. “Our family is like a little Russia. Russia held four territories and [ma] family, four children “, She says. Wait for the fifth Ukrainian to arrive because they are all entirely Russian: “We don’t take what doesn’t already belong to us.”
To convince older children, Moscow promises them an extraordinary life in Russia, reports the American newspaper. “We were told: ‘If you need gadgets or clothes, let us know. We buy them all from you. You can go if you want.’ [vers la Russie] And relax. We will show you Moscow. If your parents left you, it’s because they didn’t need you. We will help you “”Timofeï, 17, reports.
The exact number of children sent to Russia for adoption is unknown. Russian officials declined to comment Die New York Times. For its part, Kiev does not keep exact numbers, but understands that there are thousands of these children. In April, Moscow announced that more than 2,000 children have arrived in Russia since 2014, most of them from orphanages and homes in the occupied territories.
