Russia Takes 6,000 Ukrainian Children for Political Ideology Education

Report from Yale University Humanities Research Institute
"Operating 43 Reeducation Facilities Across Russia"
US: "War Crimes Violating the Geneva Convention"

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, it has forcibly relocated more than 6,000 Ukrainian children to its territory and subjected them to ideological re-education. In response, the United States strongly condemned the illegal transfer and deportation of these children as a violation of the Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War and classified it as a war crime.

Children leaving Kherson in southern Ukraine due to the Russian attack.
[Photo by Reuters]

According to Yonhap News on the 15th, the Humanities Research Institute under the Yale University School of Public Health released a report titled "Russia's Re-education and Adoption System for Ukrainian Children" on the 14th (local time). The report details that Russia is operating a systematic program to re-educate and adopt Ukrainian children.

It further revealed specific facts, stating, "Since the invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Russia has been operating a total of 43 facilities across the Russian mainland, Crimea, Moscow, Siberia, and other regions, housing at least 6,000 Ukrainian children." The facilities reportedly accommodate children ranging from 4 months to 17 years old, and the institute predicts the actual number of children may be even higher than 6,000.

The primary purpose of these facilities is to re-educate the children with so-called 'political ideology' to foster a favorable attitude toward Russia. Nathaniel Raymond, head of the institute, said during a State Department video briefing, "The main purpose of these camps is political re-education." He explained, "Re-education means propaganda of cultural, historical, social, and patriotic messages and ideas that serve Russia's political interests."

While some Ukrainian children enter the facilities with parental consent, there is a possibility that parental authorization documents were coerced. Additionally, children whose guardianship is uncertain during the war or who were orphans or cared for by the Ukrainian government before the invasion are admitted to the facilities under the pretext of 'adoption.'

The institute pointed out that Russia's actions could constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity, and based on evidence involving central and regional officials directly managing the facilities, it also revealed that the Russian government was directly involved in the re-education of the detained children.

In this regard, the U.S. State Department urged, "The illegal transfer and deportation of protected persons is a grave violation of the Geneva Convention and a war crime," and called on Russia to "return the children to their legal guardians."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.