Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
At the beginning of the full-scale war, 2,442 children were illegally taken from Ukraine to Belarus. They were sent to various institutions located on the territory of the country.
An investigation with the following conclusions published Yale School of Public Health Humanities Research Laboratory (Yale HRL) November 16.
It is noted that the self-proclaimed president of Belarus Oleksandr Lukashenko and the country’s special services helped the Russian occupiers in the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children.
HRL, citing, among other things, information from the People’s Anti-Crisis Administration, established that at least 2,442 Ukrainian children aged 6 to 17, including children from socially vulnerable groups, were moved from 17 cities of Ukraine to at least 13 institutions in Belarus.
At the same time, 2,050 Ukrainian children were sent to the Belarusian Dubrava camp. From September 2022 to May 2023, more than 2,000 children were sent here alone.
These numbers, the investigation emphasizes, can be confirmed “with a high degree of accuracy.”
“The total number of illegally displaced Ukrainian children is probably much higher,” – note the researchers.
HRL experts also established that the movement of Ukrainian children was directly coordinated by Lukashenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Russian and Belarusian special services.
All children who were forcibly sent to Belarusian institutions underwent military training and re-education.
“Cultural, historical, social, patriotic ideas that correspond to the political interests of the Russian Federation and Belarus are promoted to children. Officials, public organizations, as well as nationalist groups participate in this process.” – says the document.
We would like to remind you that the illegal removal of children from Ukrainian cities by the occupiers continues even now. In addition to Belarus, they are sent to various regions of Russia and to the temporarily occupied Crimea.
Recently, Canada offered to create a coalition of countries that would facilitate the return of Ukrainian children deported by Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also confirmed that the Russian occupiers illegally deported 20,000 Ukrainian children. However, the real figure is much higher.
In addition, it was reported that the Russians plan to send another 10,000 children from the temporarily occupied territories to Russia this year.
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Source: Lukashenko coordinated the illegal transfer of children from Ukraine to Belarus – investigation
