A group of Ukrainian children, once abducted by Russian forces, shared their harrowing experiences during a press conference in Rome on Wednesday. This marked the first public meeting since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The event was organized by Bring Kids Back Ukraine, an initiative led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy aimed at facilitating the return of abducted minors.
In a crowded room at the Ukrainian Embassy, children aged 14 to 18 stood alongside their grandparents and other relatives, recounting their captivity in Russian-controlled territories. Some had been living in areas occupied by Russian forces, while others were taken from various locations throughout Ukraine. Their testimonies unveiled a disturbing aspect of the ongoing conflict, highlighting a systematic effort to erase Ukrainian identity through indoctrination, detention, and even torture.
The scale of these abductions is alarming. Eleonora Mongelli, vice president of the Italian Federation for Human Rights, reported that as many as 1.6 million Ukrainian children remain under Russian control. Since the conflict escalated in early 2022, Ukraine has successfully repatriated approximately 1,600 children, with the assistance of third parties such as Qatar, South Africa, and the Vatican. Ukrainian authorities have verified over 19,500 cases of child abduction, although estimates suggest the actual number could be much higher, with the Yale Humanitarian Research Lab approximating around 35,000 children deported as of March 19, 2025.
The experience of the children often included passing through so-called “filtration camps”— facilities established by Moscow to assess the loyalty of civilians in occupied areas. Many shared chilling accounts of their experiences at these checkpoints, where they faced interrogation and searches for any pro-Ukrainian symbols. Yuliia Dvornychenko, who spent two years in Russian-occupied territories, described the dehumanizing process: “They check for tattoos to see if you carry any Ukrainian symbols… you’re not allowed through, and that can lead to imprisonment.”
Families frequently faced separation during these processes. For instance, Liudmyla Siryk recounted how her grandson, Oleksandr, was captured by Russian forces after being wounded in shelling during the siege of Mariupol. He was separated from his mother during the filtration process and later deported to occupied Donetsk. Fortunately, he was eventually located and brought back to Ukraine by his grandmother.
The story of Veronika Vlasova further illustrates the plight of abducted children. At just 13, she fled her village in the Kherson region with her aunt but was captured and taken to a filtration camp in Russia. “I was forced to tell them I loved Russia, otherwise they would have beaten me,” she recalled. After being separated from her aunt and sent to an orphanage, she spent two weeks in isolation, struggling with loneliness.
The psychological impact of such experiences is profound. Maksym Maksymov, head of projects at Bring Kids Back Ukraine, emphasized that the focus should not only be on the number of children repatriated but also on their mental health. “The Russian Federation wants to ensure that children are taught certain ‘truths’ about the world—that everyone is an enemy and nobody can be trusted,” he explained. This indoctrination leaves children vulnerable and disoriented upon their return.
Despite efforts to provide psychological support, many children suffer long-term effects from their captivity. Maksymov noted, “One thing psychologists tell us is that the children become extremely obedient—as if they’ve lost their free will altogether.”
During the conference, Iryna Vereshchuk, deputy head of President Zelenskyy’s office, expressed Ukraine’s desire to formalize the Vatican’s role as a mediator in negotiations for the return of civilians. A letter from Zelenskyy was delivered to Pope Leo XIV prior to a scheduled meeting, requesting that the humanitarian initiative launched by the late Pope Francis be officially established. Vereshchuk stated, “To be able to achieve more, we need to formalize this process in the Vatican.”
As the world continues to grapple with the implications of the conflict, the stories of these children serve as a poignant reminder of the human cost of war. The efforts to return them to their homes may only be the beginning of a long journey toward healing and restoration of their identities.
