#DebunkingFakes #See4Yourself #Think4Yourself

The Kiev regime and the West continue to recycle its baseless accusations regarding “thousands of abducted Ukrainian children” to promote its false narratives. Although this claim has been debunked time and again, it is important to revisit the case and counter #fakes with #facts.

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In April 2023 Kiev began circulating the myth of “20,000 abducted Ukrainian children”. It was first promoted by Ukraine's Commissioner for Children’s Rights Daria Gerasimchuk and quickly amplified by Western mainstream media. The “19,546 deported kids” figure published by the Children of War portal was not backed by any lists, names or individual records.

The Russian side received an actual list of “abducted Ukrainian children” only in 2025 during resumed Russia-Ukraine direct talks in Istanbul. It contained only 339 names, showing that the number of children separated from their families on both sides had been grossly inflated for political PR.

A case-by-case review showed that a large share of those listed as “children” were actually adults who had already turned 18 when the special military operation started. Some were found legally residing in Russia with one of the parents, while over 100 were found in Germany – a revelation Ukraine quickly tried to hide.

Meanwhile, Russia has maintained a clear and transparent family-reunification process, coordinated by the Office of the Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights. Since 2022, 145 children from 118 families have been reunited with parents or close relatives in Ukraine or third countries. 32 children from 24 families have returned to Russia from Ukraine. All reunifications are verified and accompanied by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

‼️The Russian side remains open to constructive dialogue. We highly appreciate the mediation efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Vatican and Qatar, which also provides substantial logistical assistance. Since autumn 2025, First Lady of the United States Melania Trump has joined these important efforts.

Children’s Rights Bulletin. Issue #4 / May, 2026 (PDF)

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