EU Says Russia Targets Ukrainian Children’s Identity and Could Use Them in War
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament that the EU has evidence of an organized Russian campaign to deport Ukrainian children, erase their national identity, and potentially send them to fight against Ukraine. She said 2,719 Ukrainian children had been returned as of November 2026, while more than 20,500 remained illegally taken out of Ukraine.
Key points
- EU has evidence of an organized Russian campaign to deport Ukrainian children and destroy their national identity, Kaja Kallas said.
- Kallas said Russia could send abducted Ukrainian children to fight against Ukraine.
- More than 20,500 Ukrainian children have been illegally taken out of Ukraine as of November 2026.
- 2,719 Ukrainian children had been returned by November 2026, including 13 in the previous week.
- The EU is imposing sanctions on individuals and organizations involved in deportations.
- The OSCE report described an organized Russian state campaign targeting Ukrainian children’s identity from an early age.
- The EU recently added children’s camps to its sanctions list, including the Sondo-1 international camp in North Korea, where Ukrainian children were found.
Why it matters
The EU’s assessment raises the possibility that deportation and identity destruction may constitute a crime against humanity. The reported threat of forcing children to fight against Ukraine also makes the issue an immediate child-protection and wartime concern. Sanctions and calls for UN action seek to identify the children, assess their health and legal status, and secure their return.
What happened
Speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels on November 11, EU High Representative Kaja Kallas said the EU had evidence of an organized Russian campaign involving the deportation of Ukrainian children and the destruction of their national identity. She also warned that Russia could use abducted children to fight against Ukraine and said deportations from occupied Ukrainian territories occurred with Vladimir Putin’s personal approval. According to her remarks, ending Russia’s aggression must include returning every Ukrainian child to their parents. The EU is imposing sanctions on people and organizations involved in deportations, and more than 20,500 children were still known to have been illegally taken out of Ukraine as of November 2026. A total of 2,719 had been returned, including 13 in the preceding week.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Ukrainian coverage focused on the evidence of deportation and identity destruction, the potential use of abducted children in combat, and Putin’s alleged personal role in approving the deportations. Reporting also highlighted the return of 2,719 children and the call to bring every Ukrainian child back to their parents.
How international sources describe it
The international response centers on evidence of organized deportation, EU sanctions and UN calls to determine the children’s whereabouts, health and legal status, and facilitate their return to Ukraine. The reported possibility that children could be sent to fight against Ukraine adds a further concern about their participation in hostilities.
Background
This year’s OSCE report described an organized campaign by the Russian state in occupied territories aimed at destroying Ukrainian identity among children from an early age. In December 2025, the EU and other countries supported a United Nations General Assembly resolution directing the UN secretary-general to engage directly with Russia to locate deported children, assess their health and legal status, and ensure their return to Ukraine. The EU recently added children’s camps to its sanctions list, including the Sondo-1 international camp in North Korea, where Ukrainian children were found.