Ukraine has verified more than 20,600 cases of the deportation and forced transfer of children by russia

As of September 18, 2026, Ukraine has verified 20,651 cases of the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children by russia. This was reported by Maksym Maksymov, head of the presidential initiative Bring Kids Back UA, in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

According to him, each case was reviewed by the Interagency Commission, after which the data was entered into the Register maintained by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

Maksymov noted that verifying a single case is a complex and lengthy process. It is necessary to confirm the child’s identity, the circumstances of their transfer, the parents’ status, and the details of the child’s legal representative in Ukraine.

“We receive nothing from russia”, - he explained. Therefore, the Ukrainian side compares several independent data sets, which is why the number of verified cases is growing gradually.

At the same time, Maksymov stressed that 20,651 cases is the number of cases of the deportation and forced transfer of children that Ukraine has already been able to confirm, rather than the total number of children taken out of Ukraine by russia.