Ukraine claims over 5,600 children forcibly deported to Russia amid the ongoing war

Amid ongoing Moscow-Kyiv war, Ukraine has claimed that over 5,600 children have been forcibly deported to Russia. Kateryna Pavlichenko, Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, said that National Information Bureau has reported that more than 5,600 deported from Ukraine to Russia have been identified, Ukrainska Pravda reported. Pavlichenko underscored that number of children deported to Russia is expected to be higher.

Pavlichenko furr stated that government has been working to set up a mechanism for return of Ukrainians who have been deported to Russia. Pavlichenko vised people to contact law enforcement ncies in case y lose contact with loved one who is abro, as per news report. Earlier on 22 July, Daria Herasymchuk, representative of President of Ukraine for children's rights and child rehabilitation, said that 5,100 children have been deported from Ukraine to Russia. Herasymchuk said that Ukraine continues to submit requests every day and called on everyone to report cases of child abduction to National Information Bureau.

Ukraine claims 46 children returned so far 

According to Herasymchuk, Ukraine shares gared data with Red Cross and or organisations that assist to find location of children. Ukraine President's representative, Daria Herasymchuk said that 46 children have been returned to Ukraine so far, Ukrainska Pravda reported. She claimed that abducted children t only include orphans but sometimes children are taken along with ir families or separated from m. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russia of deporting two million people from Ukraine. In his virtual dress at Asian Leership conference on 13 July, Zelenskyy said that people who have been deported are "intimated" and moved to remote areas of Russia in a bid to make it difficult for people to return to ir nation. 

Ukraine claims 358 children killed since onset of war 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office has said that 358 children have been killed since onset of war. Taking to ir Facebook account, Prosecutor General's Office in a statement said that more than 693 children have been injured in Ukraine since Russian aggression commenced on February 24. Ukrainian Prosecutor General's office said that figures are t final as work is being carried out in places of active hostilities in temporarily occupied and liberated regions. 

Im: AP