Ukraine returns 2,368 children from deportation and occupation, while more than 20,000 remain in Russia
Ukraine has managed to return 2,368 children whom Russia deported or forcibly transferred after the start of the full-scale war. At the same time, the state registry still lists more than 20,600 children who are considered to have been illegally taken away.
As Censor.NET reports, this was stated during the press conference "Return of abducted Ukrainian children" by Oksana Cherviakova, Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights for Children's Rights, and Kateryna Rashevska, a lawyer with the NGO Regional Center for Human Rights.
According to Cherviakova, the number of children and young people returning to Ukraine has recently increased noticeably.
"In June and July, a lot of young people are returning, that is, children or young people who consciously choose Ukraine, who remember Ukraine, and who even waited until they turned 18 in order to cross the border independently. And if earlier we were talking about isolated cases, now more than 10 children have returned in a week," she said.
According to her, this is facilitated by the admission campaign and state programs for support, rehabilitation and financial assistance, about which more and more Ukrainian children who are outside the country or in the occupied territories are becoming aware.
Kateryna Rashevska reported that as of July 9, the registry of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine includes 20,610 children who are considered to have been illegally deported or forcibly transferred by Russia.
According to her, 2,368 children have already been returned, including more than 500 since the beginning of 2026 alone.
In addition to returning children, Ukraine continues to document crimes related to their deportation and forced Russification.
According to Rashevska, 25 people have already been served with notices of suspicion over involvement in the illegal deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children. In addition, law enforcement officers are investigating 581 criminal proceedings over the indoctrination of Ukrainian children and another 28 proceedings over their militarization.
