Day 462 of the war in Ukraine.

Day 462 of the war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Children Taken by Russian Forces and Forced to Wear Military Uniforms

In a disturbing case, Ukrainian children with special educational needs were forcibly taken from their school in Kupyansk by armed Russian soldiers. These children, including 15-year-old Artem, were dressed in Russian military uniforms and disappeared for weeks, only to resurface in Russian-occupied territory.

Relatives of the children were compelled to undertake grueling journeys to retrieve them, with only eight out of the thirteen children returned so far. Shockingly, the school's director showed no concern over dressing Ukrainian children in the uniform of an invading army, dismissing the significance of the war symbol displayed on the uniform.

The situation highlights the alleged illegal deportation of Ukrainian children by Russia, leading to mounting evidence against President Vladimir Putin as a suspected war criminal. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Putin and other officials for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children, while Russia claims humanitarian motives for evacuating the children.

The case underscores Russia's ideology of claiming ownership over occupied areas of Ukraine, including the children within them.