Digital Investigators Locate Missing Ukrainian Children in Russia

A team of investigators from around the world claim to have located eight Ukrainian children who were allegedly abducted during Russia's invasion. Utilizing digital open source techniques, over 60 detectives were able to trace the missing children, who were believed to have appeared in Russian propaganda. Experts from 23 countries came together at Europol's headquarters in The Hague to collaborate on the investigation. By employing advanced facial recognition technology, investigators were able to find recent images of the children online. Since they were unable to travel to Russia or Belarus, geolocation experts analyzed photos and videos, as well as satellite data, to determine the whereabouts of the children. Using network data analysis, detectives were also able to establish whether multiple children were in the same location. Europol has chosen to withhold the identities and locations of the eight children for their safety. Ukrainian police will notify their relatives and may initiate a criminal investigation. Ultimately, the goal is to reunite these children with their families. The Ukrainian government estimates that since the invasion began in February 2022, approximately 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly displaced or deported to Russia and Russian-occupied territories. Of these children, only 388 have been able to return home. The exact number and locations of these displaced children remain largely unknown. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant in 2023 for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Children's Rights Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for allegedly unlawfully deporting children. Russia denies these accusations and insists that it relocated vulnerable children from the conflict zone for their own safety. Lvova-Belova claims to have "rescued" Ukrainian children, and has repeatedly asserted that they are free to return home. According to her, approximately 730,000 children have been brought to Russia, with most accompanied by their parents or other relatives. She also mentioned the evacuation of 2,000 children from Ukrainian orphanages, but did not acknowledge any cases of forcible displacement. Researchers from Yale University have mapped out the deportation system, revealing that children are often placed in re-education camps or psychiatric hospitals. The Russian authorities have made it easier for Ukrainian children to be adopted, change their names, and obtain Russian passports. Last year, the BBC reported on the arduous journeys undertaken by Ukrainian parents to locate their children who had been moved deep within Russia. The humanitarian organization Save Ukraine has successfully rescued at least 95 kidnapped Ukrainian children and will be honored with the international Four Freedoms Award in the Netherlands. Recently, 18 Ukrainian children who were transferred to Russia and later returned home participated in a recreational camp in Ukraine's western Zakarpattia region, organized by a foundation established by a Ukrainian billionaire.