Ukraine does not have a complete picture of Ukrainian children in the occupied territories, as there are no humanitarian missions there, but Ukraine knows about cases of sexual violence and torture of Ukrainian children by Russian troops. This was stated by the Ambassador of Ukraine to the USA, Oksana Markarova, during special hearings in the US Senate dedicated to the topic of abduction and forced displacement of Ukrainian children by the Russian Federation, reports UNN.
Details
We still do not have a complete picture of the situation in the occupied territories. There are no humanitarian missions there. There are no international organizations. There are no mechanisms for reporting or documenting crimes. We already know about cases of sexual violence and torture of children by Russian troops – and learned about them only after de-occupation or after the children returned from deportation.
According to her, physical abduction is no longer the only tool.
"Russia is "reprogramming" our children on the spot - in occupied schools, children's camps, social institutions and even in families under occupation. About 1.6 million Ukrainian children are currently under Russia's control - in the occupied territories or inside Russia itself. To keep these children, Russia blocks all escape routes: it hinders humanitarian evacuation, shells green corridors, cuts off communications and introduces total information isolation," Stefanishyna added.
Recall
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham stated that 210 facilities have been identified in Russia where Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories who were taken to the Russian Federation may be located. Graham emphasized that it is now 2025, not 1945.