A Russian State Duma deputy oversaw the deportation of children from occupied Kherson Oblast to Russia under the guise of escorting them to a rehabilitation program. Anna Kuznetsova, who notably served as Kremlin-appointed Russian Commissioner on Children’s Rights from 2016 to 2021, told Kremlin newswire TASS on July 2 that she took a group of children from occupied Kherson Oblast to the IRIS neuro-rehabilitation center in Sochi, Krasnodar Krai. IRIS General Director Margarita Volyanskaya stated that the children will receive psychological, medical, and social rehabilitation at the center. Kuznetsova told TASS that there are about 500 children from occupied Kherson Oblast who are eligible for similar treatment and that she is working out how to bring them to IRIS. Kuznetsova also noted that she is working on the issue of ensuring the children receive access to education while in Sochi—suggesting that the children will be there for a significant length of time and will be exposed to Russian education while in Sochi. The IRIS center is partnered with the ruling United Russia party and with the “We Don’t Abandon Our Own” fund for Russian veterans. “We Don’t Abandon Our Own” has previously overseen the deportation of children from occupied Luhansk Oblast to Sochi for similar “rehabilitation” schemes, likely at the IRIS center.
ISW has previously reported on Russian efforts to deport Ukrainian children to Russia under the guise of medical or psychological rehabilitation schemes. While some children may indeed receive needed medical or psychological care while at these institutions, Russia is still clearly abrogating its responsibilities as an occupying power by sending these children to medical institutions in Russia, most of which are linked to the Russian government and military. Russia should first and foremost facilitate the transfer of these children back to Ukrainian-controlled territory if they need urgent medical treatment. Russia should also keep records of the children it is taking to Russia for medical treatment, but it has routinely failed to do so. It is unclear on what timeline these children return to Ukraine after treatment.
Key Takeaways:
- A Russian State Duma deputy oversaw the deportation of children from occupied Kherson Oblast to Russia under the guise of escorting them to a rehabilitation program. Russia is clearly abrogating its responsibilities as an occupying power by sending Ukrainian children to medical institutions in Russia, most of which are linked to the Russian government and military.
- The new Russian occupation governor of Mariupol announced plans for 2,000 children from occupied Mariupol to attend summer camps in St. Petersburg in 2025.
- Russian nuclear energy operator Rosenergoatom is sponsoring the removal of Ukrainian children to summer camps in occupied Crimea, potentially to prepare these children for future employment in the Russian nuclear energy field.
- Russian occupation officials continue to deport Ukrainian youth to military-patriotic training camps in Russia.
- Russia continues efforts to surveil the population of occupied Ukraine as a means of consolidating control of occupied territories.
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