Thousands of Ukrainian children remain in Russia DW 09/12/2025

"He was only 11 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of his homeland in 2022. After the storming of Mariupol, Russian soldiers took him and his mother to a "filtration camp." Russia has set up such camps in the territories it occupies to subject Ukrainians to ideological screening before transferring them to Russia. Sasha was separated from his mother in the camp and taken to occupied Donetsk."

"He was able to call his grandmother, Liudmila, who lives in an area under Ukrainian control. She brought Sasha back, but his mother's fate remains unknown. Sasha and his grandmother were guests of honor during von der Leyen's speech, in which she emphasized that theirs was not an isolated case. Russia denies that Ukrainian children were abducted. Sasha (second from right) and Liudmila (second from left) were guests of honor in Strasbourg on September 10 Image: EP/European Union 2025"

"Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities have abducted tens of thousands of children from their homes in occupied Ukrainian territories and either placed them in orphanages or handed them over to adoptive families in Russia. The fate of these children became the focus of recent peace talks. The Ukrainian government has made the return of deported children to Ukraine a prerequisite for a possible ceasefire and a long-term peace deal."

Fourteen-year-old Sasha from Mariupol was taken with his mother to a "filtration camp" after Russian forces stormed the city; he was separated from his mother and moved to occupied Donetsk before his grandmother retrieved him, while his mother's fate remains unknown. Russia set up filtration camps in occupied territories to subject Ukrainians to ideological screening prior to transfer to Russia. Since the 2022 full-scale invasion, Russian authorities have abducted tens of thousands of Ukrainian children, placing many in orphanages or with adoptive families in Russia. The Ukrainian government requires the return of deported children as a condition for any ceasefire or long-term peace deal, while Russia denies the abductions and claims some children were "rescued."

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