Bringing Children Back from Russia Now Takes a Year or More: Ukraine’s Ombudsman Details Growing Obstacles

Growing Complexity in Child Retrieval Efforts

According to Главком: Dmytro Lubinets, Ukraine’s parliamentary commissioner for human rights, has reported that the process of returning Ukrainian children from the Russian Federation has become increasingly difficult and drawn out. According to him, the system inside Russia has grown far more restrictive, making it harder to bring children home.

“It has become much more challenging to return children. The system on Russian territory has tightened: they have introduced total surveillance over children, as well as over those who help locate them and assist in moving them,” said Dmytro Lubinets.

By late April 2026, Ukraine had verified data on over 20,570 cases of child deportation or forced relocation. However, Maksym Maksymov noted that this figure likely falls short of the actual scale of abductions:

“These are only the cases for which we have a relatively sufficient amount of data. In all likelihood, this number does not reflect the true extent of the kidnappings. The real number is probably much higher,” Maksym Maksymov stated.

Return and Reintegration Process

Ukraine has managed to bring back 2,126 children, but the number of children returned through mediation has never exceeded 10 at a time. The reintegration process for a single child is estimated to take about three years. The return of twin girls from Kherson took over a year. In 2022, the girls were one year old; their parents were killed during Russian attacks, and the children were taken to Russia, issued Russian documents, and placed with a Russian family. Their uncle became their legal guardian. The first child brought back-a boy named Serhiy from Mariupol-was returned in roughly two months.

In 2023, Russia claimed to have accepted 744,000 Ukrainian children and reported to a UN committee that it had issued Russian passports to 46,000 Ukrainian minors. Maksymov also emphasized that rescued children often return deeply disoriented: “They have no trust in the world around them. They have no trust in adults. They may be confused about what is true and false, what is good and what is bad.”

Russia’s evolving strategy now focuses on ideological re-education and militarization of children in occupied territories. “The new tactic is that, in order to abduct children in the broadest sense, they don’t actually need to physically move them,” Maksymov explained. Between 2019 and 2025, at least 6,000 Ukrainian children were recruited into the 'Yunarmiya' (Young Army) program. Russia plans to increase participation in military youth movements by 250,000 members each year through 2030.

On April 28, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko announced that an indictment had been sent to court against Andriy Omelchuk, Russia’s deputy minister of education. Kravchenko stated that under Omelchuk’s supervision, Ukrainian schools and universities were forcibly switched to Russian curricula. “This isn’t about education. It’s about preparing for war,” he said. According to Kravchenko, Russia has no genuine concern for Ukrainian children: “They know these are Ukrainians. They are sending Ukrainians to fight against Ukrainians.”

In summary, the return of Ukrainian children from Russia remains a critical challenge requiring sustained efforts from both Ukraine and the international community. As new restrictions from Russia further complicate the process, it is essential to highlight the need for increased international pressure on Moscow to uphold children’s rights and facilitate their repatriation. This is not only a humanitarian issue but also a legal one, demanding attention from global organizations and governments alike.

The challenges surrounding the return of Ukrainian children from Russia highlight a broader issue of child safety and international accountability. As the situation evolves, the Ukrainian government continues to emphasize the gravity of these forced deportations, which President Zelenskyy has labeled as war crimes. For a more comprehensive understanding of the ongoing efforts and the number of children successfully returned, refer to the detailed report on the deportation of children to Russia.