Human rights group: 4,000 Crimean orphans have been taken to Russia
Russia has taken no fewer than 4,000 Ukrainian children from the annexed Crimea, and many have already been taken to regions of neighboring Russia and given to Russian families, said the representative of the commissioner for the Observance of Rights of Children of Ukraine, Aksana Filipishina, in an interview with Hromadske Radio.
According to her, after the annexation the so-called trains of happiness were organized with “echelons” of candidates of potential adoptive parents, but later it was discovered that they were candidates only for foster care.
That is why children were placed in foster families, where care is temporary. “Even the appeals from the Ukrainian government are just in the air as no one responds to them. And, of course, we receive explanations from Russia that because the Crimea is the territory of Russia, these children are already theirs and their placement in various families is Russia’s business.” Filipishina is outraged.
In addition, the documents of the orphaned children and children deprived from parental care from the Crimea were forcibly exchanged with Russian documents, and their education will be organized fully in accordance with Russian standards.
Meanwhile, Ukraine demands that access be granted to the United Nations Children’s Fund in the areas of the Donbas that are under separatists control so that they can monitor the children’s rights situation.