UN inquiry says Russia committed crimes against humanity in 'transfer, disappearance' of Ukrainian children

GENEVA

Russian authorities committed crimes against humanity through the "deportation, forcible transfer and enforced disappearance of Ukrainian children" during the war in Ukraine, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine said Thursday.

"Based on new evidence, the commission has now concluded that the Russian authorities committed two types of crimes against humanity, deportation and forcible transfer of children, as well as their enforced disappearance," Erik Mose, chair of the commission, told reporters in Geneva at the launch of the report.

Commissioner Pablo de Greiff said investigators have so far verified "the deportation and transfer of 1,205 children from Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine to the Russian Federation or to other occupied areas in Ukraine."

"The Russian authorities claimed these relocations were humanitarian evacuations for safety reasons," but the commission found that "four years later, 80% of the children from the documented cases have not been returned," he said.

He added that authorities arranged "long-term placement with families or institutions in 21 regions of the Russian Federation and in occupied areas of Ukraine."

The commission also raised concerns about trials of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war in Russia.

"Russian authorities have systematically used evidence that they fabricated or obtained by means of torture or ill treatment to incriminate the accused,” Commissioner Vrinda Grover said.

Grover added that some foreign nationals recruited to fight alongside Russian forces had been misled with "false promises of work" and then coerced into signing contracts they did not understand.

The report also examined developments in Ukraine. Grover said rulings by Ukraine’s Supreme Court on collaboration offenses "failed to take into account this body of law, which obliges the occupying power to continue essential services for civilians in territories under their control."

Investigators documented violations linked to Ukraine’s mobilization process, including "irregular administrative detention, lack of access to lawyers and hurried medical examinations."

She said the commission recorded instances of violence against conscientious objectors, "regardless of their readiness to carry out alternative civil service."