Lubinets: 386 Ukrainian children adopted in Russia

Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights Dmytro Lubinets said this during the nationwide news telethon on Ukrainian TV channels, Ukrinform reports.

"We have confirmed information that 386 children were adopted. There is an established fact that they have been placed in Russian families, and the adoption procedure has either started or ended," Lubinets said.

He emphasized that terminology matters and there are nuances whether that is adoption or, for example, foster care.

"As you remember, at a meeting with Putin, [Russian president's commissioner for children's rights Maria] Lvova-Belova stated that she had adopted a child from Ukraine. She herself admitted that she committed a crime. Because adopting children from countries that are in a state of international military conflict, that’s how the war is called, is prohibited in line with international humanitarian law," Lubinets said.

He recalled that after receiving an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, Lvova-Belova stated that she did not adopt a Ukrainian child, but rather took the child under temporary protection.

"These terms are very important for us, it is very important for us to establish the legal fact that the Russians are adopting Ukrainian children. Then this clearly falls under the signs of the war crime of genocide, which should be interpreted as a war crime committed by the higher military and political leadership of the Russian Federation," Lubinets said.

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine returned 11 children who were illegally held by the invaders in the temporarily occupied part of Kherson region.