The European Commission, together with Ukraine and Poland, launched an initiative to return children abducted by the aggressor state. They note that the deportation of minors is a war crime.

This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, informs Channel 24.

Read also Ukraine returned 15 children abducted by Russia together with their mothers – Lubinets

Von der Leyen said that Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki had joined the initiative.

Deportation of children is a war crime. In partnership with the Ukrainians, Prime Minister Morawiecki and I have launched an initiative aimed at the repatriation of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia,” said the President of the European Commission.

It should be noted that according to the official data of the Ombudsman's Office alone, as of March 7, the Russians deported 16,224 children from the occupied territories. By that time, only 308 minor Ukrainians had been returned. In total, 10,230 boys and girls have already been found.

On Tuesday, March 21, our state managed to return another 15 children together with their mothers and legal representatives.

Note! On March 17, the International Criminal Court (also known as the Hague Tribunal) issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvovo-Belova. The ISS prosecutor stressed that there is convincing evidence that the Russian dictator and the so-called Ombudsman for Children in Russia is responsible for the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. Many of the abducted minors were given up for adoption in Russia. Putin, by his decree, even changed the law in order to speed up the granting of Russian citizenship, which made it easier for them to be adopted by Russian families.