Impact of Russia’s Occupation on Ukrainian Children and Civilians Discussed in the United Nations
On 2 December 2025, a thematic event entitled “Eleven Years of the Russian Occupation of Ukraine: Consequences of Human Rights Violations for Civilians and Children” was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event was organized by the Permanent Missions of Ukraine and Lithuania to the United Nations.
Opening the discussion, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa underscored the scale and systematic nature of the crimes committed by the Russian occupying authorities against the civilian population. She emphasized that Ukrainian children must never be treated as bargaining chips or objects of political manipulation. The return of every unlawfully taken Ukrainian child is not only a humanitarian imperative but also a profound moral duty of the international community. Deputy Minister called on all UN Member States to support the Ukraine-initiated General Assembly resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children”, scheduled for consideration the following day.
Ukrainian Human rights defenders — Olga Skrypnyk (Crimean Human Rights Group), Sabina Ilyas (CrimeaSOS), Tetyana Zhukova (ZMINA Human Rights Centre) and Kateryna Rashevska (Regional Center for Human Rights) — presented updated evidence of widespread repression, extrajudicial persecution, torture, enforced disappearances, and one of the gravest crimes: the unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation.
Particular attention was given to the ongoing repression of the Crimean Tatar people, who have been subjected to targeted persecution since the beginning of the occupation of Crimea in 2014. The speakers highlighted systematic cases of unlawful searches, arbitrary detentions, fabricated criminal charges, suppression of freedom of expression and religion, as well as torture and enforced disappearances — abuses that have become tragically routine for the Indigenous people of the peninsula. They stressed that Russia’s policies aim to expel Crimean Tatars from their homeland and eradicate their national identity.
The human rights defenders emphasized that these abuses form part of Russia’s broader strategy to destroy Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar cultural and national identity. Children are forcibly separated from their families, stripped of their names and personal data, deprived of Ukrainian citizenship, and placed in Russian families or closed institutions. Ukrainian children are subjected to militarization, indoctrination, and “re-education,” with many held in more than 210 documented Russian facilities — ranging from monasteries and children’s homes to military boarding schools.
The speakers stressed that the international community must defend the right to truth, support evidence-gathering efforts, and counter Russia’s disinformation aimed at distorting the reality of its crimes. UN Member States were urged to ensure that accountability for grave human rights violations and war crimes is integrated into all peace and post-war recovery negotiations concerning Ukraine.
Ukraine expressed deep gratitude to all states, international organizations, and human rights institutions that continue to document violations, support affected families and assist in efforts to return illegally transferred Ukrainian children. Participants reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring that all unlawfully and forcibly displaced children and detained civilians are released and returned home, and that those responsible for these crimes are held to international accountability.
Concluding the event, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Andrii Melnyk stressed that the deportation of Ukrainian children constitutes a crime against humanity, and that the systematic human rights violations in occupied territories require continuous and impartial international monitoring. He underscored that every expression of solidarity and every vote of support is crucial to securing the return of Ukrainian children and achieving justice.
On 3 December, as part of the reconvened 11th Emergency Special Session of the UN General Assembly, Member States will vote on the Ukraine-initiated resolution “Return of Ukrainian Children”, co-sponsored by Canada and the European Union.
The live broadcast of the meeting will be available at: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k1l/k1lrdrr1s8