Speaking before the U.S. Helsinki Commission at open hearings on Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children, I outlined the challenges these children face under Russian control and discussed our ongoing efforts to repatriate them to Ukraine.

Joining me at the hearings were Denis, Ksenia, and Rostislav, who we had successfully rescued from forced relocation. They courageously shared their experiences with the commission, detailing their forced move by Russian forces to Crimea and Russia. They spoke about how the occupying authorities attempted to indoctrinate them with pro-Russian views and their eventual journey back home. Their testimonies stand as stark evidence of Russian war crimes against Ukrainian children.

Other notable attendees at the commission hearings included Pia Kauma, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly; Oksana Markarova, Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S.; Andriy Kostin, Prosecutor General of Ukraine; and Dmytro Lubinets, Human Rights Commissioner of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

The full recording of the hearings is available