Representatives of the Presidential Office within the presentation of the Bring Kids Back UA project told German parliamentarians about Russian children stolen by Russia
The event was organized by a group of German deputies, namely: Robin Vagain, Marcus Faber, Michael Roth, Roderich Kizetter, Ivonn Magvas, Knut Abraham, Eric von Malottki, Frank Schwab, Johann David Vadefult Thanks to the idea of Ukrainian scholarships of the program "International Parliamentary Scholarship" Christina Danyuk, Yana Melnichenko and Ulyana Hnatyshyn.
A special participant in the event was 11-year-old Ilya from Mariupol, whose mother was killed by the Russian military in his eyes. The boy himself was forcibly deported from the territory of Ukraine. Elijah's trip to Berlin took place within the framework of the Stolen Voice Information Campaign, a component of Bring Kids Back UA, approved by President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky.
"Today, not only Elijah, but also the voices of all Ukrainian children stolen from Russia are heard here in the Bundestag," Darya Gerasimchuk said. She noted that as of September 1, 2023, according to Russian media, which refer to the defense agencies of the occupying country, more than 744 thousand Ukrainian children were illegally exported to the Russian Federation. At least 20,000 cases of illegal deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia are officially documented.
But real figures can be several times larger, Daria Gerasimchuk emphasized. “These are the huge scale of the crime. Russia does not provide any state or organization of information about their whereabouts, health and any circumstances, ”the adviser to the Presidential Office, Operation Director of Bring Kids Back UA Dariya Zarivna, said. Currently, only 386 young Ukrainians have managed to return home.
“This cruelty cannot remain unpunished, and we are grateful to the international community for recognizing it. The Order of the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Vladimir Putin and the so-called Ombudsmenka of Lviv-Belova is a good sign. However, we need something more than just signals. Real actions are needed. To do this, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy initiated the Bring Kids Back UA project.
It is a strategic plan of action that corresponds to the fourth point of the formula of peace "The release of all prisoners and deported", - said the adviser to the head of the office of the Head of State. “In order to stop a crime wave against our children, you need to make joint international efforts. We really need your help. This is an opportunity to demonstrate its leadership again, ”she added.