Russia has returned nine Ukrainian children to their families with the assistance of Qatari mediators, according to an announcement Thursday by Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children’s rights.
Lvova-Belova shared images on Telegram showing her alongside Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, interacting with the children at the Qatari Embassy in Moscow. The group included eight boys aged 12 to 17 and one 17-year-old girl who had been living with her grandmother in Crimea and wished to reunite with her mother in Kyiv.
This repatriation is part of a broader effort that has seen Qatar facilitating the return of Ukrainian children from Russia and occupied territories since July 2023. Lvova-Belova stated that her office has aided in the return of 80 children from Ukraine and third countries, as well as 13 children from families with relatives in Russia.
The move comes amid ongoing accusations from Kyiv that Moscow has unlawfully taken over 19,000 Ukrainian children since the full-scale invasion began, a claim Russian authorities deny. To date, fewer than 400 children have been returned to Ukraine. In April, Ukraine submitted a list of 561 children whose return it is seeking from Russia, utilizing Qatari mediators.
This issue has garnered international attention, with the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants last year for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine.
themoscowtimes
