Tens of thousands of Ukrainian children have been forcibly deported from their homes.

Omissions

• Official figures (European Commission, May 2026: 'more than 20,500') combine children unlawfully deported to Russia proper AND those forcibly transferred to Russia-controlled territories within Ukraine, so the number of children removed to Russian territory proper is somewhat lower than the combined figure.
• The Ukrainian government's official register of deported/forcibly transferred children has been around 19,500–20,500, so 'tens of thousands' is at the lower end of that range.
• Some of these children have since been returned to Ukraine through the 'Bring Kids Back' initiative; the figure of 20,500+ refers to total recorded unlawful deportations/transfers, not the number still in Russian control.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission — Bringing Ukrainian children back homeSince the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories.
• PrimaryEuropean Commission (DG NEAR) — EU, Ukraine, Canada and partners join efforts to return forcibly transferred and unlawfully deported childrenSince the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, more than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been recorded as unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
• PrimaryOHCHR — UN Commission concludes that deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children constitute crimes against humanityRussian authorities committed the crimes against humanity of deportation and forcible transfer of children, and of their transfer within the occupied territories of Ukraine, on a large scale.