Russia Recruiting Abducted Ukrainian Children Into Army, Zelensky Says

Newsweek · Ellie Cook · 2026-11-06 11:07 UTC

Kyiv says Russia has taken more than 20,000 Ukrainian children from annexed parts of Ukraine since the start of the full-scale war.

Russia has recruited abducted Ukrainian children into its army, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said.

Kyiv says Russia has taken more than 20,000 Ukrainian children from annexed parts of Ukraine since the start of its full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Just over a tenth of this number have been returned to Ukraine, according to Kyiv officials. Thousands of others are listed officially as missing.

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