Editorial: Russia’s abduction of Ukrainian children represents a new depth of evil

The Russians claim these are vacation camps. They say the children are being moved for their own safety.

However, it is alleged that the 70 detention camps, in Belarus, occupied Crimea and even far-east Russia, are forcibly ���re-educating” children. Campaigners tell of children being forbidden from speaking Ukrainian or displaying any Ukrainian symbols.

The indoctrination tactics also include severe punishment for children if they resist singing the Russian national anthem. The names and birth dates of children are routinely changed by Russian authorities. The US says it is aware of credible reports that Russia was listing abducted Ukrainian children on adoption websites.

Thus far, just short of 400 children have been rescued. The majority of these have returned because their home towns were liberated from Russian rule.

A report by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) paints a disturbing picture of Russia’s motivations and the conditions in these centres.

The OSCE paper says Russia “does not take any steps to actively promote the return of Ukrainian children”, despite Geneva Convention rules on the treatment of children during war. The OSCE adds that Russia actually creates obstacles for families seeking to get their children back.

The plight of these children was on the agenda at a peace summit in Switzerland, led by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

Campaigners from Ukraine said the abductions are an attempt to steal the country’s future and has left the children with deep psychological scars. The activists want greater international efforts to bring them home.

A final communique from the summit called for all prisoners of war to be released in a “complete exchange”. It also called for the return of all children who had been “deported and unlawfully displaced”.

The vast majority of the 90 countries taking part signed the statement, which reiterated that Ukraine’s “territorial integrity” should be respected in any peace deal to end the war.

Attending the summit in the Swiss Burgenstock resort overlooking Lake Lucerne, Taoiseach Simon Harris was among the global leaders to speak of the distressing accounts of the treatment of children.

He cited evidence of what is happening to children, including interrogation, electric shocks and torture.

The type of support given to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression has provoked significant debate in Ireland. However, nobody can be in any doubt about supporting demands for these children to be returned.

Vladimir Putin’s state-sponsored abductions amount to abuse of vulnerable children. It should be met with a chorus of condemnation.