Since the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, Russian authorities have been openly transferring children from Ukraine to Russia and Russia-occupied territories. Russian officials attempt to justify their decision to displace Ukrainian children as a “humanitarian evacuation.” However, this purported motive is not reality. The current available evidence clearly exhibits that Ukrainian children are being forcibly transferred systematically at a large scale, and the actions by Russia are a part of its broader plan to “Russify” Ukraine’s children into becoming proRussia. Russia is also permanently cementing their integration by simplifying the Russian citizenship process and making it easier for Russian families to adopt them. This mass resettlement combined with the aim of erasing and depriving Ukrainian children’s link to their national identity violates Article II(e) of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. This Comment will show that Russia is committing genocide—one of the greatest international crimes— and that the two required elements, the acts committed and special mental intent, are met to establish a crime of genocide is occurring against Ukraine’s children. Although many questions concerning the forced transfer of thousands of Ukrainian children remain unanswered, what can be said is that Russia must be held accountable for its efforts to destroy the Ukrainian identity.
