Key facts
- EU countries imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and 17 entities.
- The sanctions target involvement in the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
- Sanctioned entities include Russian children's camps and the Songdowon International Children's Camp in North Korea.
- The EU stated children are brought to these camps to promote pro-Russian narratives.
- Many children are reportedly stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture.
- The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to abductions.
The European Union has imposed sanctions on 17 entities and 10 individuals for their alleged involvement in the unlawful deportation and forced assimilation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The measures, which include travel bans and asset freezes, target those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation, forced transfer, assimilation, indoctrination, and militarized education of Ukrainian minors.
According to EU officials, many of the children are stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture, given Russian passports, and put up for adoption. Some are reportedly forced into schools for indoctrination or into military camps. The Songdowon International Children's Camp in North Korea is also named, where Ukrainian children are allegedly brought to promote pro-Russian narratives.
Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže stated that Russia is attempting to erase the children's identity, calling it a feature of genocide. The International Criminal Court has previously issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions. Around 2,200 children have been returned to Ukraine, though identifying them can be complicated.