By John Q. Hosedrinker 
Since 2025, Russia has forcibly transferred almost 11,000 Ukrainian children to 164 camps located in Russia and occupied Crimea, an operation documented by experts from the Regional Centre for Human Rights. These children are subjected to social and cultural disconnection from their communities and heritage, as part of a re-education program implemented since 2022, with militarization increasing within the camps. Russian officials falsely present these actions as care, further hindering the children’s return, while also attempting to facilitate the adoption of these abducted Ukrainian children.
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Russia has deported nearly 11,000 Ukrainian children to ”re-education” camps in 2025 alone. Honestly, the sheer scale of this is staggering. It’s not just about numbers; it’s about the fundamental violation of human rights and the trauma inflicted on these young lives. The term “deportation” itself is a bit of a misnomer here. The reality is far more sinister: these children have been kidnapped, snatched from their homes and families, and taken across borders against their will. It’s a critical distinction because deportation implies some semblance of legality, some sort of process. What’s happening is the antithesis of that.
The act of kidnapping these Ukrainian children and transporting them to these so-called “re-education” camps is something that needs to be called what it truly is: a war crime. It’s a crime against humanity, plain and simple. Any potential peace deal, any attempt to bring this devastating conflict to a close, absolutely must have the safe return of these abducted children as its absolute, non-negotiable centerpiece. It can’t be anything less. These children are not pawns in a political game; they are innocent victims of a regime that seems to operate without a moral compass.
This leads to the very difficult thought, is this now the world we live in? Are we comfortable accepting this level of cruelty and disregard for human life? It’s difficult to ignore the parallels to historical atrocities, a chilling echo of events that we swore we would never allow to happen again. The actions of the Russian regime are not just a violation of international law; they are a deeply disturbing manifestation of evil, of a willingness to inflict unspeakable suffering on the most vulnerable members of society.
It’s horrifying to consider the potential experiences these children are being subjected to. The phrase “re-education” itself is chilling. It evokes images of indoctrination, of attempts to strip away their identities and replace them with something else. This act of forcible re-education is a form of cultural erasure, an attempt to undermine the very fabric of Ukrainian society. The impact on these children, on their families, and on the Ukrainian nation as a whole, is going to be felt for generations.
The lack of widespread outrage and decisive action from the international community is deeply disheartening. One would think that the abduction of thousands of children would be headline news across the globe, a constant reminder of the atrocities being committed. Yet, sometimes it feels as though it’s not getting the attention it deserves. The world needs to recognize the severity of this crisis, to acknowledge the scale of the suffering and to respond accordingly.
The fact that this is happening in 2025 is jarring. We live in an age of unprecedented access to information, of global connectivity. Yet, the world seems to have let this happen. The fact that there’s been a reduction in funding from certain organizations that tracked the abducted children makes it even more difficult to ascertain where they’ve ended up, and if they’re safe.
The silence, or the muted response from certain corners, is almost as deafening as the cries of the children themselves. It’s like watching a horror movie, where you’re screaming at the screen, begging for someone to do something, anything, to stop the unfolding nightmare. And that’s exactly what this is. The use of such language as “deportation” is simply wrong, it misleads and whitewashes the reality of the situation.
It’s difficult to ignore the fact that the perpetrators of these crimes continue to be treated with some semblance of respect on the world stage. While this is a complex situation, there needs to be accountability. There needs to be consequences for these actions. The international community must demand that Russia cease these activities immediately and that the children are returned to their families. It’s a fundamental test of our shared humanity.
There are a lot of similarities with historical tragedies. The story of what happened at Brothers Home in South Korea is a painful example of how such atrocities can happen, often with state sanction. What these children are experiencing may be just as awful. The fact that these are “re-education camps” suggests that the children are not going to be treated well, and any potential impact on their families will be felt for a long time.
The historical context is also important. Throughout history, various forms of forced assimilation and indoctrination have been used as tools of oppression. The examples of residential schools in Canada and the United States, and in various other countries, serve as a stark reminder of the lasting damage these practices can inflict. If we fail to learn from these past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them.
The fact that Trump’s administration cut funding for programs designed to track the abducted children is another cause for concern. Such cuts can make it even harder to find and bring these children home. It makes it almost impossible to bring about any meaningful resolution. It underscores the urgent need for robust, well-funded programs dedicated to finding and protecting these vulnerable children.
The core of the matter is that these children are being held against their will. It is also worth mentioning that many of these children are being taken into Russia, making this all the more complicated as Russia has no legal right to have control of these children, as it is not their country. The fact that they are being kidnapped, and removed from their families, is wrong. This is another war crime that must be addressed. The safety and return of the children must be a priority for the entirety of the world.