The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has concluded that “large numbers” of Ukrainian children have been “moved” to Russia and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, and Moscow has “grossly violated” the interests of these children, according to their report released Thursday.

The report examined the alleged Russian deportation of Ukrainian children since the start of the war in February 2022.

Although the expert team was unable to determine the exact number of children deported by Russian forces, “the fact of a large-scale displacement of Ukrainian children does not seem to be disputed by either the ‘Ukraine nor by Russia,” the report said.

Ukrainian officials have told OSCE experts they estimate the number of “kidnapped” children at between 200,000 and 300,000.

“There have been many overlapping violations of the rights of children deported to the Russian Federation. The Russian Federation has not only seriously violated the best interests of these children on several occasions, but has also denied their right to identity, their right to a family, their right to unite with their family, as well as violated their rights to education, access to information, the right to rest, leisure, play, recreation and participation in cultural and artistic life, as well as the right to thought, conscience and religion, the right to health and the right to liberty and security,” said the OSCE Moscow Mechanism expert. mission to the OSCE Permanent Council writes in its report.

The report also revealed that the three most common reasons for the organized movement of children are “evacuation for security reasons, transfer for adoption or foster care and temporary stays in so-called camps. Recreation”.

The expert team led by Professor Veronika Bílková, Dr Cecilie Hellestveit and Dr Elīna Šteinerte found that Ukrainian children abducted by Russian forces “are exposed to pro-Russian information campaigns that often amount to a targeted rehabilitation”.

“The Russian Federation does not take any measures to actively promote the return of Ukrainian children. On the contrary, it creates several obstacles for families seeking to reclaim their children,” the experts added.

The report “further exposed the heinous actions carried out at the behest of the Russian leadership”, said Deirdre Brown, acting UK ambassador to the OSCE. “The report shows numbers in the thousands, and the true number is likely much higher.”

“Russia’s intention is clear. It is trying to forcibly and permanently change the demographic makeup of Ukraine,” Brown added.

In late March 2023, the United States and 44 other OSCE countries invoked a special mechanism to investigate alleged human rights abuses by Russia during its war in Ukraine, “particularly with regard to the transfer and forced expulsion of children by the Russian Federation.

According to the United States and several European governments, the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin has implemented a plan to forcibly deport thousands of Ukrainian children to Russia, often to a network of dozens of camps, where minors undergo political re-education.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Putin and other Russian officials in connection with the alleged forced expulsion in early March.

The OSCE does not have the power to legally punish Russia if it finds evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, but its facts can be passed on to other bodies that have that power. Both Russia and Ukraine are members of the OSCE, which has 57 countries.

Russia has previously denied doing anything illegal, saying it was protecting Ukrainian children.