The European Union has adopted a new package of sanctions targeting 16 citizens and seven legal entities of the Russian Federation involved in the illegal transportation of Ukrainian children to the territory of the Russian Federation or to regions of Ukraine occupied by it. The restrictive measures were implemented on May 11 in response to the forced deportation, assimilation, and adoption of Ukrainian minors.
This is reported by Finway
Organizations under sanctions and their role
The sanctions list includes several federal state institutions associated with the Ministry of Education of Russia. Among them are the All-Russian children’s centers “Orlyonok,” “Aliye Parusa,” and “Smena.” These organizations, in collaboration with the occupying administration, organize special programs for children from Ukraine. Their content involves conducting pro-Russian ideological processing, implementing “patriotic” activities, military-patriotic education, and fostering loyalty to the Russian Federation.
Additionally, the list includes educational and military structures, such as the DOSAAF Center in Sevastopol, the Nakhimov Naval School, and the military-patriotic club “Patriot” in Crimea. They engage in ideological processing, militarization of minors, and undermining Ukrainian national identity.
“The decision concerns individuals responsible for the systematic illegal deportation, forced relocation, forced assimilation, including through ideological processing and militarized education of Ukrainian minors, as well as for their illegal adoption and transportation to the Russian Federation and temporarily occupied territories,” the press release states.
Sanctions and international reaction
The sanctions list includes not only the leaders and employees of these organizations but also officials and politicians from the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine. They are responsible for implementing programs of political indoctrination, organizing paramilitary training, and promoting Russian military culture among Ukrainian youth.
The sanctions entail freezing assets in the EU, prohibiting funding, and providing any economic resources. Individuals are also banned from entering and transiting through the territory of the European Union.
According to official data from Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, over 20,000 Ukrainian children have been deported or forcibly relocated to the Russian Federation or occupied territories. The EU emphasizes that Russia deliberately conceals their whereabouts and attempts to destroy the Ukrainian identity of these children.
At the same time, according to information from the Office of the President of Ukraine, since the launch of the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, more than 2,133 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia have been returned home.
On May 11, a high-level meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, organized by the EU, Ukraine, and Canada, will take place in Brussels. Delegations from 72 countries and representatives of the UN will participate in the event, and the coalition itself unites 47 states and international organizations.