ISW - Russia Is Turning Deported Ukrainian Children Into Bargaining Chips : Shared by John Gilmartin
ISW is a Washington think tank ngo that uses the English style and vocabulary of american defense and intelligence groups. It can be awkward to read. It is also considered the best source of openly available information on the ongoing Ukraine war.
Here is the ISW special report on Russia’s use of captured Ukrainian children as bargaining chips in the current negotiations.
Author: Karolina Hird (Institute for the Study of War - ISW)
Publication: Institute for the Study of War
Date: November 5, 2025
Summary:
Russian officials are exploiting US First Lady Melania Trump's efforts to repatriate deported Ukrainian children to downplay Russia's systematic deportation campaign and restore bilateral US-Russia relations. Trump announced October 10 that she worked with Putin to secure return of seven Ukrainian children, while Russian negotiator Kirill Dmitriev responded with emojis suggesting he views deported children as leverage.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the bipartisan US Senate Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act, claiming it undermines US-Russia dialogue, while asserting Russia has "only" taken "hundreds" of children for humanitarian reasons and returned 122 thus far. However, Russia's own official sources contradict this narrative: Russia's July 2023 annual report states Russia "accepted" 700,000 children from Ukraine since 2022, with at least 1,500 orphans placed in Russian foster families across 19 federal subjects.
Ukrainian officials confirm Russia deported at least 19,546 children but withheld the full list from Russian authorities due to concerns Russia would move children or change their names to complicate tracking. Extensive documentation from Russian officials details adoptions across multiple oblasts, with Putin noting February 2023 a "significant increase" in Russian adoption appeals for Ukrainian children.
Quotes:
"Attempt to undermine the established dialogue between Russia and the US." — Maria Zakharova, condemning US Senate legislation on Ukrainian children
"The largest group of children and teenagers in recent memory" (125 total) arrived in Moscow Oblast from occupied Donetsk Oblast on Russian Ministry of Defense flights. — Maria Lvova-Belova, Kremlin-appointed Commissioner for Children's Rights, September 16, 2022
"Russia has no intention of returning the majority of the children whom it has deported and adopted out into Russian families — these children are core to Russia's campaign to erase Ukrainian identity, starting with its youngest and most vulnerable citizens." — Institute for the Study of War assessment
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