Ukrainian children abducted to Russia are being punished for refusing to sing Russian anthem - Gerasymchuk
Children deported by the Russian Federation after returning to Ukraine reported being beaten and otherwise punished for refusing to sing the Russian anthem and mentioning that they were Ukrainian.
Darya Gerasymchuk, Advisor to the Presidential Commissioner for Children's Rights and Child Rehabilitation, spoke about this on the air of the United News telethon, reports Censor.NЕТ with reference to Ukrinform.
"Children who return do not say anything good about what happened to them there. In general, it depends on their location, because some of them were even beaten... because they kept mentioning that they were Ukrainians, because they refused to sing the Russian anthem, because they refused to get up during the Russian anthem, because they refused to sing 'Russia, forward' every morning, and so on. They were beaten and punished for this: they were not allowed to go for walks, forced to write and rewrite some Russian texts, etc." Gerasymchuk said.
She emphasized that total Russification of Ukrainian children is taking place in Russia. Young Ukrainians are being turned against their parents, convincing them that their parents have abandoned them and that they should not return to Ukraine, where no one is supposedly waiting for them. "And then, in this spirit, everything that the sick imagination and fantasy of Russians allows them to say to children," the Presidential Adviser emphasized.
According to her, Ukrainian children abducted by Russians suffer great psychological trauma, often even physical trauma. She cited an example of a child undergoing surgery in Russia without sufficient anesthesia, crying and screaming that it was very painful, but she was told to be patient.
At the same time, the Ombudsman's advisor emphasized that there is currently no single mechanism for returning children, and that a separately developed rescue operation is carried out for each deported child or mini-group.
Gerasymchuk noted that the Russian authorities are not involved in the return of children or the negotiation process, but rather constantly move young Ukrainians, do not allow them to inform their families, and do not allow representatives of international organizations and third countries to visit them.
The Presidential Adviser reminded that so far Ukraine has managed to return 360 children abducted by Russia, but the invaders are holding "hundreds of thousands more."
