The July cover of "TIME" magazine, titled "Kidnapping" and dedicated to abducted Ukrainian children, is a signal to Ukraine that the situation has gone beyond the state's borders and become a global moral challenge for the entire world, UNN reports.
The kidnapping of Ukrainian children is another attempt by Russia to destroy the Ukrainian nation. These crimes of the Russian authorities are directed against Ukraine, both today and tomorrow. After all, abducted Ukrainian children are already growing up in a different cultural environment, where they are taught to hate Ukraine, as "Mother Heroine" and fintech expert Olena Sosedka told UNN in an exclusive comment.
The kidnapping of Ukrainian children is a tragedy and a strategic catastrophe. When children are stolen, the future of the country is stolen. Every abducted child is like a severed branch of a tree that will no longer bear fruit. This is a crime directed not only against Ukraine today, but also against Ukraine tomorrow — the one that could have been stronger, happier, freer. Imagine: these children grow up in a different system of values, they are taught to hate their country, their language, their history. This is an attempt to erase Ukrainian identity from within. And this is what we are obliged to stop — at any cost
After children are illegally transported to Russia, they end up in so-called "re-education camps." There, forced Russification of Ukrainian children takes place. Then they are adopted by Russian families, where this Russification continues. And later, abducted Ukrainian children, under pressure, renounce their national self-identification. Thus, they cease to be Ukrainians both on paper and in their hearts. Children from orphanages or those left without parental care are particularly vulnerable to abduction by Russia.
Meanwhile, the Yale University laboratory, which was searching for Ukrainian children abducted by Russia until US President Donald Trump stopped its funding from the administration, found 314 abducted Ukrainian children who were already listed in Russian databases under different names as Russian citizens.
But despite the shift in focus of the US administration, the world has not forgotten. The July cover of "TIME" magazine is a powerful signal to Ukraine that our children are not forgotten. And Russia will answer for its actions. Now this situation has gone beyond the national conflict; it has become a global moral challenge. After all, the large-scale deportation of children not only violates international law but also threatens the identity of an entire generation. Inside Russia, many of these children are subjected to ideological influence, which causes some to already refuse to return, considering Ukraine an "enemy" state — this is the result of a deliberate propaganda policy.
When I saw this cover, it felt like someone had hit me right in the heart. This cover is like a mirror of our pain, our cries. The first thing I felt was rage: because you can't get used to something like this. Then — bitterness and helplessness. But then a cold focus kicked in: this cover is a signal that our pain is still being talked about in the world. And this gives us the strength to speak louder, to demand, to shout, so that no one can say: "We didn't know"
The scale of child abductions is striking. According to official data from Yale University Laboratory, Russia forcibly removed approximately 35,000 children from Ukraine. At the same time, official Ukrainian data confirm 19,546 cases of child deportation. And experts believe that the true number of abducted children could range from 260,000 to 700,000.
Let's add
Recently, thanks to the "Bring Kids Back UA" initiative, created under the patronage of the Office of the President of Ukraine, another 11 children were successfully returned home. This was announced by the Head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak. As the Head of the OP reported, he was particularly struck by the story of a family from which five siblings were returned. Thus, a total of 1389 abducted children have been successfully returned to Ukraine.
The children were taken to Russia, and for a long time there was no information about them. Only later did they themselves contact their adult sister in Ukraine and ask: take us home. But even after that, the way back was extremely difficult. Russian guardianship authorities put pressure, delayed the process, forced them to change their minds. The return became possible only after more than a year of persistent and painstaking work
Recall
The international community condemns Russia's actions. Thus, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova. The European Parliament and several human rights organizations qualify Russia's actions as a war crime and a form of genocide. In July 2025, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Russia must facilitate the return of deported Ukrainian children.
In addition, during the second round of Ukrainian-Russian negotiations in Istanbul, the Ukrainian delegation, led by then-Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov, handed over to the Russians a list of hundreds of deported children who needed to be returned. According to the head of the delegation at the negotiation process, Russia must do this to show its readiness for a peaceful settlement, said the head of the Ukrainian delegation, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustem Umerov.
Instead, the Russian side published a list of 339 Ukrainian children who were allegedly "rescued" from the combat zone. At the same time, Vladimir Medinsky, the head of the Russian delegation in negotiations in Istanbul, denied the facts of child abduction, accusing the Ukrainian authorities of "a show for Europeans."