Adoption website in Russia categorizes Ukrainian children as merchandise, claims NGO
The Ukrainian aid organization, Save Ukraine, has reported the existence of a Russian website that presents profiles of children in a format reminiscent of an online store. This practice, which has been ongoing since around 2014, has drawn condemnation and has been publicly highlighted by Ukrainian human rights representatives.
The website includes photos, brief character sketches, and basic physical details for each child. Some entries read like personality summaries, detailing interests and traits of the children. This layout, critics argue, makes the pages look like an online slave market.
Mykola Kuleba, the leader of Save Ukraine, has accused Russia of using child trafficking methods, based on evidence found by his organization. He stated on social platform X that the children listed on the Russian website are not just "classic war orphans." Instead, they are believed to have been taken from occupied areas.
In some instances, Russian documents have been issued to "legalize" the transfers of the children. Save Ukraine claims that most of the children listed on the website come from territories now under Russian control, including Kherson, Mariupol, and Luhansk.
Independent reporting last year identified Ukrainian children on Russian adoption portals, including the Financial Times finding several Ukrainian children on a Russian adoption website with obscured origins. This latest report by Save Ukraine suggests that the practice of listing Ukrainian children on Russian websites has continued.
Authorities and independent investigators have not yet published a comprehensive public accounting of every case referenced by Save Ukraine. However, the NGO's reporting does indicate a pattern of systematic efforts to move children out of Ukrainian custody.
This is a serious human rights issue representing abduction, trafficking, and exploitation of children in the context of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Alexander Heinen of the German newspaper Bild has reported on the existence of this Russian website and its controversial layout. As the conflict continues, concerns about the fate of children taken from conflict zones and the use of online platforms to display them persist.
References:
- Save Ukraine report on Russian website listing abducted Ukrainian children
- Independent media investigations into Russian adoption portals featuring Ukrainian children
- Statements by Ukrainian human rights organizations condemning the practice of listing Ukrainian children on Russian websites.
Read also:
- Explored the Popular Health Assessment with a Queue of 100,000 Aspiring Participants - Here's My Unadulterated Opinion
- Hearing impairment condition: Recognizing symptoms and management approaches
- Exploring Recurring Actions in Mature Individuals: An Analysis of Persistent Actions in Adults' Daily Lives
- Signs of Cataracts Emergence: Impact on Vision and Further Details
