Ukraine’s first lady demands return of thousands of kidnapped children as peace terms with Russia are considered
WASHINGTON — Illia was just two years old when he was taken from occupied Kherson by a senior Russian officer, reportedly because of his “good looks.” But when the child’s hidden health problems surfaced, he was discarded in occupied Crimea. Since then, he has never been seen again.
Illia’s fate is tragically familiar in Ukraine — one of thousands of children who have been abducted by Russian forces since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. As peace talks between Ukraine and Russia begin to take shape, First Lady Olena Zelenska is urging that the safe return of these missing children be made a top priority.
In an exclusive interview with The Post from Kyiv, Zelenska said, “We could not protect their rights when the Russians took them — without consent, without records, without any transparency.”
Ukrainian officials estimate that at least 19,500 children remain unaccounted for, though the true number may be far higher. Many were taken from schools, orphanages, or separated from their families during chaotic evacuations or “filtration” procedures. Russia has claimed even larger figures: in 2023, Russian Children’s Ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova said 744,000 Ukrainian children had been relocated to Russia. Both she and Russian President Vladimir Putin have since been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes related to the deportations.
“These so-called ‘evacuations’ were actually forced deportations,” Zelenska said.
Entire orphanages and boarding schools were reportedly emptied, with children loaded onto buses and vanished across the border. Once inside Russia or Russian-occupied territories, the children often became impossible to trace.
“There were no safe corridors for evacuation in the early weeks,” Zelenska said. “Anyone trying to flee to Ukrainian-controlled territory risked being shot. The only route open was toward Russia.”
At Russian checkpoints, civilians endured interrogations, phone searches, and body inspections. Children were sometimes taken from their parents during these screenings — never to be returned. Human rights groups have documented cases of forced separations at these so-called filtration points.
Only around 1,500 children have been successfully brought back so far. The process is slow, risky, and emotionally wrenching. International aid groups like the United Nations have been helping Ukraine compile lists of the missing, but the task is complicated by Russia’s efforts to obscure identities. Children’s names are often “Russified,” dates of birth altered, and their origins erased from records.
“A child named Mykyta might be renamed Nikita,” Zelenska said. “That’s how these children disappear.”
Now, as peace negotiations begin including territorial discussions, Ukraine is demanding that the return of these children be a non-negotiable element.
“The longer these children stay there, the faster they lose their identity, their language, their homeland,” she said. “Time is working against us, and against them.”
Many of the abducted children are subjected to indoctrination, military training, or even sent to the front lines to fight against their own country. Others are placed in Russian homes under new identities — even babies — and stripped of their Ukrainian heritage.
“They are not allowed to speak their language, embrace their culture, or contact their families,” Zelenska said.
The trauma is severe. Those who do return often show signs of psychological distress. Some recount being beaten for speaking Ukrainian. In several cases, children have taken their own lives.
“The ones who return are often broken,” said Zelenska. “It takes time for them to come out of their shells.”
Once a child is adopted in Russia and given a new name, finding and retrieving them becomes nearly impossible. Ukraine has yet to successfully return any such children.
Even when families or relatives know a child’s location, they face bureaucratic dead ends.
“We have parents and grandparents searching for these children, but we get no answers from Russian authorities,” Zelenska said.
She called on international organizations operating in Russia to act as mediators and help identify the children’s whereabouts.
“If they could just provide us information — that would be a step forward,” she said.
Zelenska also highlighted the story of Illia, the toddler taken for his appearance and later discarded when his medical condition was discovered.
“Some Russian officials select children based on how they look — as if they’re shopping,” she said. “Illia was treated like an object. When he was no longer ‘perfect,’ he was abandoned. This shows they are not interested in children’s rights. That’s why Ukraine is fighting so hard for them.”
As the world watches peace talks unfold, Ukraine’s leaders are making it clear: true peace must include justice for its stolen children.
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