Donetsk, Aug 11 — DAN. Presidential Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova has denied the reports by Ukraine on Russia’s child protection activity calling them fakes.
“Ukraine continues to disseminate fakes about our child protection activity, and a number of foreign and domestic mass media outlets spread them intentionally or they don’t care to look into details, ” Lvova-Belova said in a post on Telegram .
For example, they allege that Russia “deports children and takes them away, ” she said.
“Russia has not deported or taken children away since February 2022; it has received 4.8 million residents of Ukraine and the Donbass republics including 700,000 children. An overwhelming majority of children came to safe Russian region together with their parents or close relatives. Donbass orphanages were evacuated for the sake of children’s safety, ” the ombudsperson said.
She denied the claims that Russia had practiced adoption of Donbass children. In 2022, guardianship of 380 orphans from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics was established at the request of their leaders.
“Adoption has not been used. Under Russian laws, guardianship and adoption are absolutely different. Guardianship is the preferred form with a view of minors’ potential reunion with their relatives if these relatives are found, ” Lvova-Belova said.
She said that the term “adoption” which is often used by English language media is not correct and that the right term is guardianship, or “foster care” and “custody” at worst.
Lvova-Belova also denied the allegations that Russia “does not return children from Ukraine, ” “does not cooperate with Ukraine in this matter, ” and that “the International Criminal Court’s warrant made Russia step up the efforts towards family reunions.”
“I’m confident that those who seek the truth will certainly find it, ” she said.*jk