1 of 1 stock image. Children play while people hold a giant Ukrainian flag to protest Russia’s intervention in Ukraine during Lithuanian independence celebrations in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday March 11, 2014. — Photo: AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis Stock Image . Children play while people hold a giant Ukrainian flag to protest Russia’s intervention in Ukraine during Lithuanian independence celebrations in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tuesday March 11, 2014. — Photo: AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis
At least 6,000 children have been sent to reeducation camps in Russia since Ukraine was invaded in February 2022, according to an analysis by Yale University in the United States published on Tuesday (14).
“The primary purpose of the institutions we identified appears to be political reeducation,” Nathaniel Raymond, one of the researchers, said at a news conference.
The report is the latest from Conflict Watch, a US State Departmentsponsored project investigating alleged human rights abuses and war crimes committed by Russia.
Scientists say Russian authorities, including the federal government, are coordinating the system, which includes at least 43 facilities across Russia and Crimea.
The key points the report revealed were:
- Several groups of children were observed arriving at the facility between February 2022 and January 2023.
- Children in “reeducation camps” or other Russian institutions ranged in age from 4 months to 17 years;
- In some camps, youth as young as 14 received military training. There is no evidence that they were sent into battle;
- In most institutions (78%), young people were reeducated according to the Russian government’s perspective on national culture, history and society;
- The analysis identified 43 shelters across Russia and Crimea holding Ukrainian children, two of which are linked to the deportation of orphans: a psychiatric hospital and a family center;
- Among the juveniles were those with clear parental or family guardianship, Russians considered orphans, those in the care of state institutions in Ukraine prior to the invasion, and those whose custody was unclear or uncertain due to the war;
- In several situations, those responsible were forced to allow young people to visit the “camps”. Reports of parents refusing their children’s participation were recorded but ignored;
- For children in 10% of the evaluated institutions, the return date was suspended or postponed by the Russian authorities. In many cases, those responsible did not receive any further information;
- Some of the children were transferred through the system and adopted by Russian families or sent to an orphanage in Russia.
“What is documented in this report is a clear violation of the 4th Geneva Convention,” the treaty that protects civilians in time of war, Raymond said.
According to him, the report could be evidence that Russia committed genocide during its war in Ukraine, since the transfer of children for the purpose of altering, altering or eliminating national identity can constitute a component act of genocide.
Ukrainian prosecutors have said they are investigating allegations of forced deportation of children as part of efforts to bring genocide charges against Russia.
“This network stretches from one end of Russia to the other,” Raymond said, adding that researchers believe the number of facilities holding Ukrainian children exceeds 43.
The analysis shows that the camp system and the adoption of Ukrainian children taken from their homeland by Russian families “appears to be approved and coordinated at the highest levels of government in Russia,” from the federal government down to local authorities.