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☆ Russia’s war machine is trying to turn Ukrainian teenagers into soldiers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The Ukrainian teenager was given a Russian passport and sent to a Russian school. And then, in the fall of 2023, not long before his 18th birthday, he received a summons from a Russian military recruitment office. Russia has publicly acknowledged the transfer of Ukrainian children without guardians, despite some having guardians or parents. All Ukrainian teenagers held in Russia, when they turn 18, they are put on a (recruitment) list of Russian military,” told CNN. “It’s a Russian strategy to turn Ukrainian children into Russian children and militarize them.

Persons: Bohdan Yermokhin, Vladimir Putin, who’s, ”, Yermokhin, Ivana Kottasova, Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Dmytro Lubinets, “, ” Bohdan Yermokhin, Lubinets, ” Lubinets, ” Yermokhin, Lubinets —, Mariupol, ’ ”, Belova, Mykola Kuleba, Filip, ” Yermohkin, Kuleba, It’s, Artem, Russia …, ” Artem Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, Russian, Rights, International Committee, Human Rights Watch, Ukraine, “, Lvova, National Guard, Save Locations: Kyiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Moscow, Russian, Russia, Geneva, Chechnya, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Save Ukraine, Belarus, Crimea, Qatar

☆ ICC accuses two high-ranking Russians of war crimes in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Rob Picheta | Sugam Pokharel | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants against two high-ranking Russian military figures, accusing them of war crimes against Ukrainian civilians. The ICC said they are responsible for war crimes of directing attacks at civilians, causing excessive harm to civilians and the crime against humanity of inhumane acts. “International justice requires time, but it is unavoidable.”Sokolov has been Russia’s commander for its Crimea-based Black Sea fleet since August 2022. The Kremlin has always dismissed accusations of war crimes. The court, which has 18 judges serving nine-year terms, tries four types of crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, crimes of aggression and war crimes.

Persons: Sergei Kobylash, Viktor Sokolov, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Volodymyr Zelensky, ”, ” Sokolov, China – Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, ICC, Russian Armed Forces, Russian Navy, “, United Nations Locations: Russian, The Hague, Netherlands, Moscow, Ukraine, Russia, Crimea, American, Virginia, China, Rome, “

☆ Six Ukrainian Children to Be Returned From Russia Through Qatari Mediation
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-05 | by ( Dec. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

The children are en route to Ukraine via Moscow, the source added. This is the second phase of a Qatar-mediated return of children, after four minors were returned in October. One of the children was being escorted by Qatari diplomats to their embassy in Moscow before being transferred to Ukraine, the source said. Kyiv says about 20,000 children have been taken from Ukraine to Russia or Russian-held territory without the consent of family or guardians. The ICC has accused them of responsibility for the war crime of deporting Ukrainian children - at least hundreds, possibly more - to Russia.

Persons: Andrew Mills, Max Hunder, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Belova, Putin, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Max Hunder DOHA, Reuters, Qatari, ICC Locations: KYIV, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Russia, Qatar, Moscow, Thani, Russian, Doha, Kyiv

☆ A 2-year-old girl who was seized from a Ukrainian orphanage was adopted by a Putin ally: BBC
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-24 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The child was stolen from a Ukrainian orphanage, according to the BBC. Russia has abducted thousands of Ukrainian children, says the UN. AdvertisementA political ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin adopted a girl who was taken from an orphanage in occupied Ukraine, according to a BBC investigation. AdvertisementAccording to the Ukrainian government, around 20,000 children have been taken by Russian authorities since the war began. The International Criminal Court in the Hague earlier this year issued arrest warrants for Putin and his children's rights commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.

Persons: Sergey Mironov, —, Vladimir Putin, Mironov, Inna Varlamova, Margarita Prokopenko, Marina Sergeevna Mironova, Putin, Maria Lvova Organizations: BBC, UN, Service, Criminal Court Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Kherson Oblast, Kherson, Podolsk, Moscow, Hague

An orphaned Ukrainian teenager who was taken to Russia last year during the war in his country returned home after being reunited with relatives in Belarus on his 18th birthday Sunday. Bohdan Yermokhin was pictured embracing family members in Minsk in photographs shared on social media by Russia’s children’s rights ombudswoman, Maria Lvova-Belova. The practice prompted the International Criminal Court in March to accuse Russian President Vladimir Putin and children's rights ombudswoman Lvova-Belova of committing war crimes. Lvova-Belova has argued that the children were taken to Russia for their safety, not abducted — a claim widely rejected by the international community. Nevertheless, the children’s rights ombudswoman announced in a Nov. 10 online statement that Yermokhin would be allowed to return to Ukraine via a third country.

Persons: Bohdan Yermokhin, Russia’s, Maria Lvova, Andrii Yermak, Yermokhin, Yermak, Yermokhin's, Kateryna Bobrovska, Bobrovska, Valeria Yermokhina, ”, Vladimir Putin, ombudswoman, Putin, Belova, —, Yerkmohin, Dmytro Lubinets, ” Lubinets Organizations: UNICEF, Qatari, Associated Press, Criminal Court Locations: Russia, Belarus, Minsk, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Mariupol, Moscow, The Hague, Netherlands, Russia’s, “ Ukraine

[1/5] Bohdan Yermokhin, a Ukrainian teenager who was taken to Russia from the occupied city of Mariupol, shakes hands after arriving in Ukraine from Belarus at the border crossing in Kortelisy, amid Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine, November 19, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Peter Acquire Licensing RightsKORTELISY, Ukraine, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian teenager who was taken to Russia from the occupied city of Mariupol during the war and prevented from leaving the country earlier this year returned to Ukraine on Sunday. In March, he tried to leave Russia for Ukraine via Belarus, but was stopped and sent back. "I believed I would be in Ukraine, but not on this day," Yermokhin told Reuters while eating at a petrol station after crossing into Ukraine. Asked if he was glad to be back in Ukraine, Yermokhin said "yes."

Persons: Bohdan Yermokhin, Thomas Peter Acquire, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Yermokhin, Zelenskiy, Yermokhin's, Bohdan, he's, Andriy Yermak, Mariam Lambert, Kateryna Bobrovska, Russia's, Maria Lvova, Belova, Vladimir Putin, Pavel Polityuk, Tom Balmforth, Jane Merriman, Ron Popeski, Bill Berkrot, Chris Reese Organizations: REUTERS, Sunday, Children's Fund, UNICEF, Russia, FOSTER CARE, Foundation, Reuters, Criminal Court, ICC, Kremlin, Thomson Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Mariupol, Ukraine, Belarus, Kortelisy, Qatar, MOSCOW, Moscow, Dutch, Minsk, Belarusian, The Hague

☆ Ukraine's Zelenskiy Slaps Sanctions on 108 People, 37 Russian Groups
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-18 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Maria Starkova and Elaine MonaghanLVIV, Ukraine (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sanctioned 37 Russian groups and 108 people including a former prime minister and a former education minister and said he aimed to fight wartime abductions of children from Ukraine and other "Russian terror". Zelenskiy did not associate specific individuals or groups with particular wrongdoings. The decrees showed a range of 10-year penalties against individuals and five-year penalties against non-profit groups including one named in English as the "Russian Children's Foundation." Some of the newly-sanctioned people, which included many with Russian citizenship, had previously been punished with separate or similar penalties. The sanctioned Russian groups included several whose names or websites indicate they work with children.

Persons: Maria Starkova, Elaine Monaghan, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Dmytro Tabachnyk, Mykola Azarov, Viktor Yanukovich, Azarov, Sergei Aksyonov, Leonid Pasechnik, Putin, Kvartal Lui, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Sofia Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Zelenskiy's, Franklin Paul Organizations: Reuters, Russian Children's Foundation, Russian, Kyiv, Criminal, Lvova, Yale University, State Department, National Security, Defence Council Locations: Elaine Monaghan LVIV, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Crimea, Luhansk, Ukrainian, The Hague, Belarus, Putin, Washington

LVIV, Ukraine, Nov 19 (Reuters) - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has sanctioned 37 Russian groups and 108 people including a former prime minister and a former education minister and said he aimed to fight wartime abductions of children from Ukraine and other "Russian terror". Zelenskiy did not associate specific individuals or groups with particular wrongdoings. The decrees showed a range of 10-year penalties against individuals and five-year penalties against non-profit groups including one named in English as the "Russian Children's Foundation." Some of the newly-sanctioned people, which included many with Russian citizenship, had previously been punished with separate or similar penalties. The sanctioned Russian groups included several whose names or websites indicate they work with children.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Dmytro Tabachnyk, Mykola Azarov, Viktor Yanukovich, Azarov, Sergei Aksyonov, Leonid Pasechnik, Putin, Kvartal Lui, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Sofia Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Zelenskiy's, Elaine Monaghan, Franklin Paul Organizations: Russian Children's Foundation, Russian, Kyiv, Criminal, Lvova, Yale University, State Department, National Security, Defence Council, Franklin Paul Our, Thomson Locations: LVIV, Ukraine, Russia, Kyiv, Russian, Crimea, Luhansk, Ukrainian, The Hague, Belarus, Putin, Washington

☆ Russia is relocating Ukrainian children to Belarus where they are subjected to military training and reeducation, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-17 | by ( Sebastian Cahill | Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In Belarus, some children have been re-educated by nationalists and given military training. AdvertisementA recent report from Yale University sheds new light on the plight of Ukrainian children who have been deported by Russia, many of whom the report says are being subjected to military training and reeducation. Belarusian troops have subjected Ukrainian children to military training that includes handling firearms, wearing body armor, and watching military parades, lectures, and combat demonstrations, according to the report. The total number of deported Ukrainian children is unknown. Some Ukrainian children say they have been put in Russian foster and adoptive families while others are being repatriated to the country.

Persons: —, Russia's, Maria Lvova, Belova, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, Yale University, Yale School of Public, Research, Yale, Internal Troops, CNN, Criminal Court, International Locations: Belarus, Russia, Ukraine

☆ A 17-year-old Ukrainian stuck in Russia received call-up papers to fight in the Russian army, his lawyer said
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

His status in Russia surged to the fore after his lawyer said he was told to join the Russian army. AdvertisementA 17-year-old Ukrainian who was taken from Ukraine to Russia during the war received a call-up to enlist in the Kremlin's forces, the BBC reported. AdvertisementAs he was living in Russia, Yermokhin was issued a call-up order to report on December 13 for a military draft in Moscow, Bobrovska told Ukrainian media on November 7. The announcement comes after Russia said Yermokhin wanted to stay in Russia, a claim Bobrovska has repeatedly denied. But Bobrovska told Ukrainian media that Yermokhin said he was intimidated into signing the statement.

Persons: Bohdan Yermokhin, Yermokhin, —, Kateryna, Bobrovska, Irina Rudnitskaya, Rudnitskaya, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Yermokhin's, — Bobrovska, Maria Lvova, Dmytro Lubinets, Lubinets, Belova, Vladimir Putin Organizations: Service, BBC, Russian, Children's, Human Rights, Associated Press, United Nations Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Mariupol, Russian, Ukrainian, Moscow, Belarus

☆ Thousands of Ukrainian children taken to Belarus -Yale research
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More than 2,000 children Yale identified were transported to the Dubrava children's centre in Belarus' Minsk region between September 2022 and May 2023, it said, while 392 children were taken to 12 other facilities. "Russia's federal government and Belarus' regime have been working together to coordinate and fund the movement of children from Russia-occupied Ukraine through Russia to Belarus." Transports to Belarus through Russia were "ultimately coordinated" between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko, it added. Lukashenko approved the use of state organizations to transport children from Ukraine to Belarus and finance their transportation, the Yale report said. Once in Belarus, children have been subjected to military training and re-education, it said.

Persons: Alexander Lukashenko, Pavel Bednyakov, Vladimir Putin, Russia's Putin, Maria Lvova, Lukashenko, David Ljunggren, Mike Collett, White, Alexandra Hudson, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Commonwealth of Independent States, CIS, Sputnik, Rights, Yale University, Humanitarian, Yale School of Public Health, State Department, Reuters, U.S . State Department, Ukraine, Yale, Transports, Criminal, Thomson Locations: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Russian, United States, Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, Minsk, The Hague

☆ Qatar to return three Ukrainian children from Russia after repatriation talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Qatar on Friday facilitated the return of another Ukrainian child, aged 7, who was reunited with his grandmother and is en route to Ukraine via Estonia, the official said. Kyiv has identified 20,000 children as taken to Russia or Russian-held territory without the consent of family or guardians. It is not clear how many additional children Russia will authorize to return to Ukraine via the Qatari mechanism after the first four, the official said. The first four children "were the first ones verified and (Russia and Ukraine) agreed they found their parents," the official said. "Both Ukrainian and Russian officials have been cooperative," the Qatari official said, adding that Ukraine approached the Gulf Arab state to mediate with Russia over the children.

Persons: Maria Lvova, Lolwah Al Khater, Vladimir Putin, Vassily Nebenzia, Andrew Mills, Sandra Maler Organizations: Children's Rights, Qatari, Reuters, Monday, Qatar, Russia's, United Nations, Criminal Court, ICC, Thomson Locations: Qatar, Russia, Ukraine, DOHA, Moscow, Estonia, Russian, Kyiv, Latvia, Belarus, Gulf, Iran, Israel, Gaza, New York

A senior Russian official accused the United States of deploying unmatched efforts to ensure Russia remained out of the Human Rights Council. The empty seat for the representative of Russia is pictured during the Human Rights Council special session on the human rights situation in Ukraine, at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, May 12, 2022. China and Cuba were also among the winners of Tuesday's vote, drawing objections from human rights defenders. "Crimes against humanity and genocide apparently (are) not disqualifying actions for UN's top human rights body," the Uyghur Human Rights Project, which advocates against what rights campaigners say are China's grave human rights abuses against the mainly Muslim ethnic minority, wrote on messaging platform X.Juan Pappier, deputy director for the Americas at Human Rights Watch, wrote on X in the run-up to the vote that Cuba was unfit to be a member of the Council. "Its record of systematic human rights violations speaks for itself," he wrote.

Persons: doesn't, Louis Charbonneau, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Denis Balibouse, Maria Zabolotskaya, Richard Gowan, Juan Pappier, Emma Farge, Gabrielle Tétrault, Farber, Deepa Babington Organizations: Russia, GENEVA, United Nations, General Assembly, Rights Council, UN, United, Human Rights Watch, Children's, Kremlin, Human Rights, Human, REUTERS, Representative, Crisis, Thomson Locations: Bulgaria, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Cuba, China, Moscow, Europe, Geneva, United Nations, U.S, Russian, United States, Switzerland, Russia's

☆ Ukrainian children as young as 4 months old are being forcibly taken to Russia. Officials don't know what is happening to them.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Thousands of Ukrainian kids, including infants, have been forcibly taken to Russia. AdvertisementAdvertisementThousands of Ukrainian children are missing, having been taken by Russian troops since the invasion began last year — and there are conflicting reports about what has happened to them. Because Russian forces have targeted Ukrainian orphanages and other vulnerable populations, the number of taken children is likely "significantly higher," according to the Yale report. An official estimate from the Ukrainian government puts the total number of forcibly displaced kids at just under 20,000. Russia operates at least 43 known facilities dedicated to providing "re-education," military training, and pro-Russia academic instruction to Ukrainian children forcibly removed from their homes, the Yale report indicated.

Persons: —, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Biden, Ferit, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Putin Organizations: Service, United Nations Commission, UN, Yale School of Public Health, Russian, Yale, Ukraine's Ministry, United Arab, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense, of, Russian Federation, Criminal Court, Monday, ICC, Politico, Russia's, Children's Rights Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Territories, Crimea, Russian, Japan, China, United Arab Emirates, Albania, Moscow, Rome

NEW YORK (AP) — A Ukrainian composer has been commissioned to write an opera about mothers from that country going into Russia to rescue their forcibly detained children. The Metropolitan Opera and Lincoln Center Theater said Monday that 42-year-old Maxim Kolomiiets will compose the work to a libretto by George Brant, whose “Grounded” with composer Jeanine Tesori premieres at the Washington National Opera on Oct. 28 and travels to the Met in the autumn of 2024. Met general manager Peter Gelb hopes the company can present the new work by 2027 or '28. A piano-vocal score and libretto will be written in the next year or two and a workshop prepared. “It's my hope it will end up as a full-blown opera and hopefully on our stage,” Gelb said.

Persons: Maxim Kolomiiets, George Brant, Jeanine Tesori, Peter Gelb, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Gelb, Olena, Kolomiiets, Met dramaturg Paul Cremo, ” Gelb, Anna Netrebko, Keri, Lynn Wilson, “ Organizations: Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, Washington National Opera, Met, Orchestra, Lynn Wilson . Works Locations: Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, The Hague, Russian, New York

CNN —Ukraine has opened more than 3,000 criminal cases over Russia’s alleged crimes against children in the country, including dozens of torture cases, Ukrainian prosecutors said Thursday. The reports of alleged torture against children came to light after some Ukrainian territories were retaken from occupying Russian forces. These include 13 alleged cases of sexual violence against children, the youngest of which was a 4-year-old girl, Usenko said. Child pawns of Russia’s warThe treatment of Ukraine’s children by Russia has long been under international scrutiny. A United Nations Security Council briefing last week focused on the war’s impact on Ukraine’s children, with the deportations and treatment of children taking center stage.

Persons: ” Yulia Usenko, Usenko, ” Usenko, “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Volodymyr Zelensky, Rosemary DiCarlo, Kyslytsya Organizations: CNN, Department for, ” CNN, United Nations Security, UN, Political, Peacebuilding Affairs, US State Department, US, State Department Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Yahidne, Ukraine’s, Chernihiv, Kherson, Kharkiv, Russian, ”

☆ Russia-Ukraine War U.S. Officials Say It Appears Likely Putin Ordered Prigozhin Killed
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Victoria Kim | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +5 min

Mr. Putin himself is under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children, as is his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. Seven of the people targeted by the new sanctions are Russian officials, and the other four, including Ms. Kadyrova, have ties to the camps. “Children are literally being ripped from their homes in the year 2023 by a country sitting in this very chamber,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. Some are pressured into accepting Russian citizenship, and others have been adopted by Russian families, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. “You will hear Russian officials say that their transfers of children are part of humanitarian evacuations,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday.

Persons: Ramzan Kadyrov, Aymani Nesievna, Kadyrova, reeducation, Vladimir V, Putin, Mr, Maria Lvova, Biden, ”, “ It’s, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Ms, Thomas, ARTEK, AKF, Galina Anatolevna Pyatykh, Irina Anatolyevna Ageeva, Irina Aleksandrovna Cherkasova, Mansur Mussaevich Soltaev, Magomedovich Khuchiev, Konstantin Albertovich Fedorenko, Alievich, Olena Oleksandrivna Shapurova, Vladimir Vladislavovich Kovalenko, Vladimir Dmitrievich Nechaev, “ Organizations: State Department, Kremlin, International, Court, Ukraine, Security, U.S ., Federal, Educational Institute International Children Center, Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, The State Department, Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Youth Army Locations: Russia, Russian, United States, Ukraine, Chechen, Chechen Republic ., U.S, Crimea, Chechen Republic of Russia, Belgorod, Russia’s Kaluga, Russia’s Rostov, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia, Sevastopol, Crimean

Mr. Putin himself is under an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children, as is his commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova. The two entities placed under sanctions are a Russian-owned camp and an organization that has overseen Ukrainian children who were sent to a camp in the Chechen Republic. “Children are literally being ripped from their homes in the year 2023 by a country sitting in this very chamber,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. Some are pressured into accepting Russian citizenship, and others have been adopted by Russian families, Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said. “You will hear Russian officials say that their transfers of children are part of humanitarian evacuations,” Ms. Thomas-Greenfield said on Thursday.

CNN —Russia has barred 54 more British citizens from entering the country, in response to the UK’s sanctions against its citizens and enterprises, according to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The sanctions list includes several government ministers as well as journalists from public broadcaster the BBC, the Guardian newspaper and the Daily Telegraph newspaper. “We would like to emphasize again that any efforts by London to further spin the anti-Russian sanctions flywheel will inevitably receive a decisive response from our side,” the Russian ministry said in a statement. Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan. Vanessa Jimenez/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesIn February, Khan submitted applications to the ICC for warrants of arrest for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova.

Persons: “, Karim Khan, Vanessa Jimenez, Khan, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Lucy Frazer, Frazer, Goldie Organizations: CNN, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, BBC, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Criminal, Anadolu Agency, ICC, Russian, Rights, State for Culture, Media, Sport, Olympic, State, British Ministry of Defence Locations: Russia, ”, London, Belarus, Ukraine

☆ Exclusive: Kremlin aide who brings Ukrainian children to Russia associated online with neo-Nazism
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Anton Zverev | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Aug 9 (Reuters) - A Kremlin official involved in what international prosecutors call the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia was associated online as a teenager with white supremacist and neo-Nazi movements, Reuters has found. He deleted that link the day Reuters submitted its questions about his online activity to his employer. In a statement responding to Reuters questions, Petrov said: "Unequivocally, I never had, nor do I have, any links to neo-Nazi organisations. When Russia gave a presentation on April 5 this year to the United Nations Security Council to rebut allegations about its treatment of Ukrainian children, Petrov was among the speakers. In a video shared during that presentation, Petrov was shown alongside children at a Russian-organised camp for Ukrainian children.

Persons: Alexei Petrov, Petrov, Maria Lvova, Vladimir Putin, Belova, Adolf Hitler, Reuters couldn't, Hitler, David Lane, Anton Zverev, Christian Lowe, Daniel Flynn Organizations: Kremlin, Reuters, Skype, United Nations Security Council, Defamation League, Fare, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, London, Nazi, Russian

CNN —A summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and African leaders began in St. Petersburg on Thursday, with a far lower turnout than previous years. Just 17 heads of African states are attending this year, the Kremlin has confirmed, less than half of the 43 heads of state that attended the 2019 conference. And some African politicians – further than simply not attending the summit – have expressed grave concerns about Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine. Putin makes free grain pledgeThe African states being represented at the St. Petersburg summit will be keen to sway Russia into rejoining the grain deal, and Putin has courted African leaders for years in a deliberate effort to broaden Moscow’s global influence. Russia’s Wagner mercenaries have also been deployed in some African states.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, William Ruto, –, “, ”, Raila Odinga, ” Odinga, Putin, Russia’s Wagner, ” Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Cyril Ramaphosa’s, Maria Lvova Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Kenyan, Putin, Russian, ”, Criminal Court, ICC Locations: St . Petersburg, United States, Moscow, Africa, Russia, Ukraine, St, Petersburg, Russian, Johannesburg, South Africa, Rome, Hague

But Shautsou’s statement was the first time the Belarus Red Cross has admitted taking part in the deportations. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Red Cross umbrella organization, expressed “grave concern” and called for the practice to stop. Dzmitry Shautsou, the Secretary General of the Belarusian Red Cross, pictured near the Polish border. “We have contacted the Belarus Red Cross to express our grave concern and to stop any similar activity in the future,” the statement said, adding that “actions by any of our member national Red Cross or Red Crescent Societies in contradiction with our humanitarian mission” are “taken extremely seriously.”The Ukrainian branch of the Red Cross has called for the IFRC to denounce the Belarus Red Cross’ involvement in the deportations. “We implore them to carefully consider the matter of excluding the Belarus Red Cross from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement,” the group said in a statement.

Persons: Dzmitry Shautsou, ” Shautsou, Ulf Mauder, Shautsou, ”, “, Dmytro Kuleba, Vladimir Putin, Rights Maria Lvova, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin Organizations: CNN, Cross, International Federation of Red, Red Crescent Societies, Criminal Court, Belarus “, TV, Red Crescent Movement, Crescent, ICC, Twitter, Russian, Rights, Ukraine Russia, Crisis Management Group Locations: Belarusian, Belarus, Ukraine, Republic of Belarus, Russia, Rome, Polish, Severodonetsk

☆ BRICS summit: Putin will not attend conference in South Africa, as ICC arrest warrant overshadows key talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( David Mckenzie Catherine Nicholls Sana Noor Haq | David Mckenzie | Catherine Nicholls | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office said Putin will not attend the conference “by mutual agreement,” adding that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would visit instead. In the months following, South African lawmakers have made contradictory statements over the country’s obligation to arrest Putin should he attend the summit. As a signatory to the Rome statute, the treaty governing the Hague court, South Africa is compelled to arrest individuals indicted by the ICC. Western diplomats have criticized South African lawmakers for their perceived solidarity with Russia since the start of that conflict. “I must highlight, for the sake of transparency, that South Africa has obvious problems with executing a request to arrest and surrender President Putin,” Ramaphosa said, according to the court’s document.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Cyril Ramaphosa’s, Putin, Sergei Lavrov, Maria Lvova, Ramaphosa, “, ” Ramaphosa, Dmitry Peskov, Ramaphosa’s, ” Peskov, ”, Omar al, Bashir Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, Russian, Criminal Court, ICC, Hague, United Nations General, Cape Town Locations: Johannesburg, Ukraine, Brazil, India, China, Russian, Russia, Rome, South Africa, Cape, Africa, Darfur

Zuppi will meet Biden on Tuesday at the White House where they will discuss the suffering caused by the war, humanitarian aid and "the Papal See’s focus on repatriating Ukrainian children forcibly deported by Russian officials," the White House said. The Kyiv government estimates nearly 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied Crimea since February 2022, in what it condemns as illegal deportations. The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. Earlier in June, he visited Kyiv and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The plan calls for restoring Ukraine's territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops and cessation of hostilities, and the restoration of Ukraine's state borders.

Persons: Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, Pope Francis, Joe Biden, Zuppi, Biden, Vladimir Putin, Grigory Karasin, Francis ., Kirill, Russia's, Maria Lvova, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Philip Pullella, Costas Pitas, Federica Urso, Grant McCool Organizations: CITY, U.S, White, Criminal Court, ICC, Federation Council, Church, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington, Crimea, Kherson, Russian, Ukraine's, Zuppi, Moscow, Kyiv

☆ Exclusive: Ukraine brings first charges for deporting Kherson orphans
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Anthony Deutsch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, the charges were filed in Ukraine, a pre-trial stage when prosecutors determine there is sufficient evidence to suspect a person of committing a criminal offence. They may have been illegally adopted by Russian citizens, or taken to Russian institutions, she said. The bulk of the orphans were taken on Oct. 21, 2022 under the supervision of the lead, Russian suspect. "We want to hold accountable all the war criminals, all the people that committed horrible international crimes against our Ukrainian children." Ukrainian prosecutors shared a video allegedly showing one of the suspects helping to load the children onto a bus marked with the pro-Russian symbol "Z".

Persons: Ukraine's, Vladimir Putin, Maria Lvova, Karim Khan, Andriy Kostin, General's, Usenko, Anthony Deutsch, Andrii Pryimachenko, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: HAGUE, Reuters, Hague, Court, Kherson Children's, ICC, Russian, Children's, Wednesday, Kherson Regional Children's, Criminal Court, Kherson Region Children's, Russian Ministry of Health, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Russian, Kherson, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Crimea, Ukrainian, Vyshhorod, Geneva, Kherson Region, Ukraine's, Kyiv

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