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📍 Kyiv / Moscow — August 2025
Human rights monitors and Ukrainian officials have condemned Russia for allegedly establishing a digital “catalogue” to facilitate the coerced adoption of Ukrainian children who were forcibly deported during the ongoing conflict. The catalogue reportedly categorizes minors by age, eye color, and hair color, raising alarm over the commodification of displaced children.
🛑 Forced Deportations and International Condemnation
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of Ukrainian children have been unlawfully transferred to Russian-controlled territories or into Russia itself. Many have been separated from their families and placed in institutions or with Russian foster families under expedited adoption procedures.
The practice has been widely condemned by international bodies, including the United Nations and the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has issued arrest warrants for Russian officials implicated in the forced transfer of children—a violation of the Geneva Conventions and classified as a potential war crime.
📉 Digital ‘Marketplace’ Raises Ethical and Legal Concerns
The reported creation of a searchable catalogue—allegedly hosted on Russian government-affiliated platforms—has intensified scrutiny. Ukrainian authorities describe it as a “marketplace” for stolen children, designed to streamline the adoption of minors without consent from their families or legal guardians.
Human rights organizations argue that such systems institutionalize the erasure of Ukrainian identity and violate international child protection standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
🌍 Call for Accountability and Repatriation
Ukraine continues to demand the immediate return of all deported children and has called on international partners to increase pressure on Russia to halt the practice. Efforts are underway to identify and reunite children with their families, though progress remains slow due to limited access and cooperation from Russian authorities.
The ICC and other legal bodies are investigating these cases as part of broader inquiries into alleged war crimes committed during the conflict.
Source: euronews.com reporting and international human rights documentation.
