IMPACT & URGENCY
Why Now
The abduction of Ukrainian children is not just a historical tragedy, it is a crime unfolding in real time.
Ukraine officially documents 19,546 verified cases of unlawful deportation or forced displacement of children since February 2022. Only 1,236 children have been returned.
Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova herself admitted in 2023 that approximately 744,000 Ukrainian children had been “transferred” to Russia.
According to Ukrainian officials, more than 1.6 million Ukrainian children still remain under Russian occupation.
Understanding the numbers:
- 19,546: Ukraine’s verified, documented cases of children whose identities, families, and stories have been confirmed.
- 744,000: Russia’s own reported figure of children “transferred” from Ukraine.
- 1.6 million: Total number of children who were in occupied territories when Russia’s full-scale invasion began.
The real number is likely much higher, as Russia blocks access to information and prevents a full assessment of the scale of this crime.
Russia has refused to give Ukrainian authorities a list of children taken to Russia, as required by international law, and has engaged in various activities to conceal their forced deportation and illegal adoption.
Every day that passes, identities are erased, memories are rewritten, and Ukrainian children are being granted Russian citizenship while their Ukrainian heritage is systematically stripped away.
The Timeline of Urgency
2022 – Invasion and Displacement
Thousands of children separated during evacuations.
Russian “re-education programs” established in occupied zones.
2023 – International Recognition
The International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for those responsible.
Evidence begins to surface, fragmented, unverified, and at risk of being lost.
2025 – The Window for Truth
As new testimonies and verified sources become available, Children of Ukraine remains one of the few projects capable of recording facts that may shape future legal action.
2026 – The Path Ahead
The conflict is intensifying, and the future remains uncertain.
Our work is more urgent than ever as we prepare to return, with the fate of thousands of children hanging in the balance.
NOW is when these stories can still be told by those who lived them.
Two Purposes, One Mission
Documentation for Justice: Verified, trauma-informed testimonies recorded for legal and historical archives.
Awareness for Humanity: A global cinematic campaign to mobilize empathy, education, and action.
“We are not only filming a documentary, we are preserving evidence and protecting memory.”