Coordinated Attempt to Erase Ukrainian Identity of Abducted Children Discussed in Kyiv Event

The challenges surrounding the return, rehabilitation, and reintegration of Ukrainian children who have been illegally deported or forced to Russia were the focal point of a recent event in Kyiv. Titled “Careful, Fragile: Childhood, War, Occupation, Deportation”, the event saw the participation of Dariia Zarivna, Chief Operating Officer of Bring Kids Back UA and Advisor to the Head of the Presidential Office. Zarivna highlighted the coordinated attempt to erase the Ukrainian identity of these children, stating, “We are dealing not only with the physical abduction of children, but with a centralized attempt to erase their Ukrainian identity.”

During the event, a documentary called “Stolen Childhood” was screened, shedding light on the real stories of Ukrainian children who faced various hardships. Zarivna pointed out that Russia has established an indoctrination system aimed at Ukrainian children, emphasizing the importance of documentaries like “Stolen Childhood” for international advocacy. The discussion also focused on the reintegration process after the children’s return, with Iryna Tuliakova, Head of the Coordination Centre for Family Upbringing and Child Care Development, underlining the need for a coordinated approach in this regard.

The initiative “Bring Kids Back UA” has developed a dedicated reintegration pathway to support children from the moment they enter the Child Rights Protection Center until they fully recover within their community and family. Other participants in the event included Oksana Lebedieva, founder of Gen.Ukrainian, and Anastasiia Stepula, Advocacy Advisor at the Ukrainian Child Rights Network, along with representatives from NGOs, educational institutions, and media. The event aimed to address the complex issue of child abduction and the challenges faced in safeguarding the Ukrainian identity of these children.