On 4 June, Ukraine commemorates the memory of children whose lives were taken as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.

For more than 12 years, Ukrainian children have suffered from Russian aggression. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, they have become targets of a systematic policy of terror, deportation, forced assimilation, militarisation, and the erasure of Ukrainian identity.

One of Russia’s gravest crimes remains the illegal deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children. Russia conceals information about their whereabouts, alters their personal data, imposes Russian citizenship, places children in Russian families and state institutions, and subjects them to ideological indoctrination, militarisation, and forced Russification.

Through the President of Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative, and in cooperation with state institutions, civil society, and international partners, Ukraine is building a comprehensive system for the identification, return, rehabilitation, and reintegration of children affected by Russian aggression.

An important instrument in these efforts is the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Ukraine and Canada. It coordinates international efforts related to locating children, ensuring their safe return and reintegration, documenting crimes, strengthening sanctions pressure, and holding perpetrators accountable.

The MFA of Ukraine calls on the international community to intensify political, diplomatic, sanctions, and legal pressure on Russia.

We urge partners to strengthen support for the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children. We also call on states and international organisations to maintain and strengthen sanctions against all individuals and entities involved in the illegal deportation, forced transfer, militarisation, indoctrination, and illegal adoption of Ukrainian children.

We remember every child whose life was taken by Russia.

We fight for every child whom Russia seeks to take away from Ukraine.

We will bring every Ukrainian child home.