Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have once again reached an impasse, with no clear path to a resolution.Among the most sensitive issues is the status of Ukrainian children who Kyiv says have been forcibly transferred to Russia.

While Ukrainian officials claim Russia has acknowledged taking hundreds of children, Moscow denies any forced removal. Reports continue to surface detailing how Ukrainian children have become victims of the conflict, uprooted from their homes and compelled to start anew in Russia.

Ksenia Koldin and her younger brother experienced this firsthand. “We were taken to Russia,” Koldin saeid.”Whether we wanted to go or not, we were just sent there against our will.”

Ksenia’s ordeal began when Russian forces decimated her hometown of Vovchansk, located in northeastern Ukraine. Separated from her brother, Serhii, in the chaos of war, ksenia was sent to a technical school while Serhii was placed in what was described as a “summer camp” before being taken in by a Russian foster family.

Resisting Indoctrination

Ksenia was eventually expelled for refusing to accept what she described as “russian propaganda.” Following her expulsion, she devised a plan to escape back to Ukraine, but faced resistance from her brother.

“After being brainwashed, they don’t want to communicate. They (are) really afraid as, through Russian propaganda, they believe that Nazis will kill them if they come back.”

“He told me, ‘I do not want to return back. I want to stay in Russia,'” she recounted. Serhii expressed feeling unwanted in Ukraine and voiced concerns about the country being controlled by Nazis.

Mykola Kuleba, a leading Ukrainian child advocate, says this narrative is a deliberate tactic employed by Russia. “after being brainwashed, they don’t want to communicate,” said Mykola Kuleba. “They (are) really afraid because, through Russian propaganda, they believe that nazis will kill them if they come back.”

Kuleba leads save Ukraine, a rescue organization dedicated to bringing Ukrainian children home.He asserts that Russia’s objective is to erase the children’s Ukrainian identity and replace it with Russian ideology and fear. “It’s (the) main intention, main strategy, of russia to brainwash our children and to recruit them to (the) Russian army,” he stated.

Allegations of War Crimes

According to official Ukrainian figures, approximately 20,000 children have been forcibly deported to Russia since the start of the war in February 2022. This number excludes children taken after Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Kuleba alleges that manny of these children are ultimately forced to fight against their own country. “Thousands of young adults who have been Ukrainian schoolchildren ten years ago, now killed on battlefields or sitting in Ukrainian prisons as captured soldiers,” he said.

These actions have led to accusations of war crimes, prompting the International Criminal court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights.

Kuleba believes Putin’s actions constitute an even greater crime. “I’m sure in 10, 20 years, (the) whole world will prove and will wake up that, ‘oh, it was genocide,'” he stated.

Save Ukraine has successfully rescued over 600 children through risky missions across Russia and occupied territories. The organization also provides counseling and reintegration services to children and families displaced by the war.

Kuleba attributes his dedication to child advocacy to American missionaries who introduced him to Christianity after the fall of the Soviet Union. “I asked God every day, ‘God, what can I do? How can I serve you?'” he recalled.”It was so clear from Jesus that I’m sending you to save these kids to change their lives.”

Ksenia sought help from Kuleba’s team, which ultimately led to her brother’s return to Ukraine. “He’s very happy, and I’m happy, too, because we (are) together in Ukraine at home,” she said.

Ksenia is now sharing her story to raise awareness about the plight of stolen children, ensuring they are not forgotten.