Fifteen children from the Novopetrivska Special School in the Mykolaiv region were forcibly taken to Anapa, Russia.

This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press center of the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“Instead of lessons and a safe childhood, there are armed soldiers, a ban on the native language, and the compulsion to sing the anthem of the aggressor country,” the report says.

As noted, under the procedural guidance of prosecutors of the Prosecutor General’s Office, a comprehensive investigation of this war crime was conducted. The full route of the illegal movement of children was established, and those involved were identified, including a serviceman of the armed forces of the aggressor state and two collaborators from the temporarily occupied Kherson region.

Evidence has been collected for use in both national courts and international institutions. The accused have been added to the sanctions lists , and the indictment has been submitted to the court under Part 2 of Article 28, Part 1 of Article 438 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

What is known about the crime?

During the occupation of the village of Novopetrivka, 15 children remained in the local special school: ten were deprived of parental care, two were orphans, two ended up in the institution due to difficult life circumstances, and another child was adopted by US citizens at the time of deportation.

“From the first days of the occupation, Russian military personnel, including one of the future defendants, regularly visited the school to check the presence and number of children. In July 2022, the director, concerned about their safety, began looking for ways to evacuate to the territory controlled by Ukraine. The military learned about this and arrived at the institution armed, interrogated the director, and established armed control to prevent the children from being taken away,” the Prosecutor General’s Office explained.

The next day, about twenty armed Russian soldiers forcibly transported the children, along with the director and her husband, to the village of Stepanivka in the Kherson region, deep inside the occupied territory, where they remained for three months.

In October of the same year, two collaborators, threatening to use violence, organized their further transfer: from Stepanivka to the river station in Kherson, then by boat to the town of Oleshki, and from there by bus through the town of Armyansk (AR Crimea) to the railway station in Dzhankoy. There, the children were met by representatives of the occupation “authorities” and employees of the Russian Emergencies Ministry. On the same day, they were deported to the town of Anapa (Krasnodar Territory, Russian Federation) in a separate train car.

Pressure on Ukrainian children

Children were subjected to ideological pressure every day: they were forced to sing the anthem of the aggressor country, participate in events imposing pro-Russian views, and were forbidden to communicate in Ukrainian or use Ukrainian symbols.

The investigation found that there were no objective reasons for the “evacuation”. The children did not require medical care or additional examination, the school had a bomb shelter, supplies of food, medicine, and hygiene products, and the situation in the settlement remained stable.

How was the crime classified?

The actions of the accused are qualified as violations of the laws and customs of war. The forcible transfer of civilians from occupied territory, especially children, is a grave violation of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and a war crime under international humanitarian law.

Thanks to the coordinated work of Ukrainian law enforcement officers, international partners, and volunteer organizations, all children were able to be taken out of Russia to safe places abroad. The adopted child is currently in the United States with guardians.

Author:  Iryna Dashkivska Джерело: https://censor.net/ua/p3568073

(C)CENSOR.NET 2025