Russia’s Child Trafficking Catalogue: Ukrainian Children Listed for Adoption
Russian occupation authorities in Luhansk Oblast created an online database offering Ukrainian children for adoption, categorized by physical traits and presented as “orphans.” This database, which features 294 children, allows filtering based on age, eye color, and desired guardianship, raising concerns of child trafficking. Many of the children listed were born in Luhansk Oblast before the occupation and are identified as having Ukrainian citizenship, with some parents reportedly killed or forced to accept Russian identification. The abduction of Ukrainian children, a widely condemned war crime, has led to the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for Russian officials, although the return of the abducted children has faced resistance.
John Q. Hosedrinker