UN General Assembly urges return of deported Ukraine children by Russia News
Mojnsen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
UN General Assembly urges return of deported Ukraine children by Russia

The UN General Assembly on Wednesday voted to demand that Russia return all Ukrainian children deported or forcibly transferred since the start of the war.

The resolution was adopted with 91 votes in favor, 12 against, and 57 abstentions, meeting the two-thirds majority required under Article 18 of the UN Charter. The resolution demands that Russia “ensure the immediate, safe and unconditional return of all Ukrainian children who have been forcibly transferred or deported.” The General Assembly, during the emergency special session, also urged Russia to cease any similar practices.

General Assembly president Annalena Baerbock stated, “What we are witnessing therefore is not merely a tragedy of some children, but a violation of international law.” Russia opposed the resolution. Ambassador Maria Zabolotskaya said, “Each vote for the resolution is support for lies, war and confrontation.” He claimed the resolution runs counter to current peace efforts.

A report of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine delivered in 2023 documented the transfer of 31 children from Ukraine to Russian territory in May 2022, concluding that this amounted to a war crime. The Commission of Inquiry further clarified that understanding the extent of transfers of children in general has proven to be challenging as a result of the different data provided by the Russian Federation and Ukraine. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin, partly because of reasonable grounds to believe he was responsible for the unlawful deportation and transfer of children. Furthermore, in May 2025, the European Parliament adopted a resolution for the return of Ukrainian children forcibly transferred by Russia. Delegates described Russian actions as “part of a genocidal strategy to erase Ukrainian identity.”

The forcible transfer and deportation of children is prohibited under Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war. As per the Rome Statute of the ICC, the act of forced transfer can qualify as a war crime under Article 8(2)(a)(vii), as well as a genocidal act under Article 6 (e). 

The Russian aggression in Ukraine is ongoing. In early September, the UN condemned a Russian large-scale missile strike against Ukraine, which constituted the largest attack since the Russian invasion in 2022. The use of drones has also been condemned by the UN; most recently, a Russian drone strike hit a humanitarian convoy delivering aid to southern Ukraine in October.

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