Mykola Kuleba had the honor of participating in a panel discussion, “Russia’s War Crimes in Ukraine: Kidnapping and Deportation of Children,” at the British Parliament. He shared with others the situation in the temporarily occupied territories, how Russian authorities are using various methods to kidnap Ukrainian children, and why the deportation of children is a part of genocide in Russia’s war. By sharing the children’s stories Save Ukraine has managed to rescue, Kuleba demonstrated how Russians are destroying the identity of the Ukrainian nation during the occupation, particularly targeting minors. Children are being indoctrinated through educational institutions where the Ukrainian language is banned, and they are being forced to adopt a Russian identity and militarized mindset.

The Save Ukraine team has been working since the autumn of 2022 to bring our children back to Ukraine. As of now, we have rescued 273 children, including 69 orphans. However, this is just a small part, and we need a mechanism that allows us to bring children back much faster. We cannot afford to hesitate, as the Russians are working very systematically in this area, sparing no resources. Therefore, support from the international community, especially from countries like the UK and the USA, is extremely important for freeing the occupied territories and bringing the children back.