The UK has announced a fresh round of sanctions targeting 11 Russian individuals and entities accused of deporting and indoctrinating Ukrainian children, in what London says amounts to war crimes and potential genocide.
According to Ukraine, more than 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories since the war began in 2022, often without the consent of parents or guardians. Kyiv has described the abductions as a war crime under the U.N. convention on genocide.
Britain Condemns Moscow’s Policy
Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the Kremlin’s actions, saying: “The Kremlin’s policy of forced deportations, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children is despicable.”
The new sanctions impose asset freezes, travel bans, and restrictions on individuals and organizations accused of supporting these deportations. Among those targeted is the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, which operates re-education programmes subjecting Ukrainian children and teenagers to militaristic training. Its president, Aymani Nesievna Kadyrova, is also on the sanctions list.
UN and ICC Raise Alarms
In March, the United Nations Human Rights Office reported that Russia’s invasion has inflicted “unimaginable suffering” on millions of Ukrainian children, highlighting systematic violations of their rights.
Last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children’s rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, holding them personally responsible for the forced transfer of children from Ukraine. Moscow dismissed the ICC ruling as “outrageous and unacceptable.”
Ongoing International Pressure
Britain’s latest measures build on a wide array of sanctions already imposed on Moscow since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Western governments continue to accuse Russia of using the forced deportation of children as a tool of war, while the Kremlin insists it is protecting minors from conflict zones.
The Russian embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment on the UK’s latest sanctions.
