More than 1.6 million children have suffered as a result of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. This devastating number was shared by Kseniia Kolotiuk, Head of the Save Ukraine Rescue Mission, during the presentation of the report “Stolen Childhood: Crimes Against Children Committed by Russian Forces,” prepared by the Rafał Lemkin Center.

The presentation took place in late June at the Pilecki Institute in Warsaw. The report contains over 100 stories from children and adults across Ukraine who survived the war. Together, these testimonies reveal a horrifying reality: Russia is systematically committing war crimes against Ukrainian children. Some of these crimes may qualify as genocide.

The Save Ukraine team also presented its own data. According to Kolotiuk, in just the first months of the full-scale invasion, 19,546 cases of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children were officially recorded. Most of these children are still under Russian control. Where they are now, or what’s happening to them — often remains unknown or impossible to verify. But the rescue continues.

“Together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), the Presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA, and a coalition of 41 countries, we’ve already rescued more than 700 children. And not a single rescued child has ended up in an orphanage — they’ve all been reunited with families,” — said Kseniia Kolotiuk.

Special thanks to the Pilecki Institute for their vital work in documenting the aggressor’s crimes. Read the full report the link https://bit.ly/3Ick7tw