At an informal meeting of the Security Council this Wednesday aimed at addressing “measures taken by Russian authorities to remove children at risk”, Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused several countries, including Portugal, of taking “hundreds” of Ukrainian children away from their mothers.
This April, Russia presided over the United Nations Security Council and took several testimonies, the veracity of which could not be verified.
In the case of Portugal, a woman says she lost her son. “I am Alina Komisarenko, from the city of Zaporizhia. My son was taken by a youth organization in Portugal. (…) I inform the Ukrainian press that I am not fake, I am a Ukrainian citizen”the witness says in a video provided by Russia.
According to the Russian ambassador to the UN, the number of Ukrainian citizens who have gone through this situation in Portugal, Spain and Germany is “in the hundreds”.
“Young children are taken to reception centers by strangers. Mothers who try to rescue children are threatened with criminal prosecution”He accused.
Another testimony provided by Russia was from Yulia Panachenko, who accused Spain of taking her son.
“My son was taken by social services in Terio, Spain”He said he was not “fake” but “a real person”.
In another video, Elena Kovalena claims to be Ukrainian from Dnipro It indicates that the son was “taken in by strangers nine months ago” and lives with a German family.
“I tell this story to everyone, everywhere, I have already heard it four times, but they will not give me my son, who is in German custody, in some German family, I said, I only saw him. Three times, for an hour, my boy gave himself a “He will soon forget that the mother exists. This is alienation. Please save my Ukrainian son. This is not fake. I beg you,” the witness heard.
Addressing European countries, he appealed to these mothers to help them. “If you can help these Ukrainian mothers, contact us and we will put you in touch with them directly. Our address is on the Internet,” said the Russian ambassador.
In March, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for alleged war crimes and child abduction in Ukraine.
The ICC has held the Russian leader responsible for the war crime of “illegal deportation” and “illegal transfer” of children to parts of Ukraine under Russian occupation.
Apart from Vladimir Putin, the Russian Commissioner for Children, Maria Lavova-Belova, is also the subject of an arrest warrant. UN The official participated in this Wednesday’s session of the Security Council, where he denied the illegal deportation of minors by Russia.
Participating via video conference, Lvova-Belova emphasized that Russia has welcomed more than five million Ukrainians since February 2022, including 700,000 children.
“They all came with children, parents, relatives or their legal guardians. Of these children, 2,000 were from orphanages or foster homes. (…) So far, about 1,300 children have returned to their orphanages. Origin). Four hundred children, these institutions are constantly bombarded by Ukraine, are sent to Russian orphanages in different regions and are cared for in these institutions, and 358 children are housed in homes with guardians. Who supervises the guard,” Maria Lavova-Belova said.
Ukrainian officials allege Moscow deported at least 16,221 Ukrainian children to Russia as of February, a number the UN Human Rights Commission could not confirm.
Kiev accuses Ukrainian children of being given up for adoption to Russian couples, illegally detaining minors.
“With Russia taking over the presidency of the Security Council, we are going to take every opportunity to prevent them from using this stage to spread disinformation,” the US ambassador to the United Nations told reporters.
As the Russian commissioner took the podium, the representatives of the United States, England, and Malta left the roomRepresentatives of 11 other Security Council members were present in the room.
“We oppose this speaker (…), a woman accused of war crimes, who is involved in the deportation and abduction of children from their homes,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN.
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