Putin Accused of Forcible Adoption of Ukrainian Children

A Yale University report, supported by the US State Department, accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin of authorizing the systematic kidnapping and forced adoption of Ukrainian children during the war. The report identifies 314 children taken from Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions and placed into Russian families as part of a Kremlin-funded program to 'Russify' them, with some naturalized as Russian citizens or placed under Russian guardianship. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Putin and his child rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, for the alleged deportation of Ukrainian children. Yale's lead researcher, Nathaniel Raymond, plans to present these findings to the UN Security Council. Russia has not responded to these allegations, citing time constraints, while Lvova-Belova claimed the actions were humanitarian efforts to protect children from conflict zones.