TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) have imposed sanctions on Russian institutions and officials suspected of systematically indoctrinating and deporting Ukrainian children on Monday, May 11, 2026. The sanctions were imposed on a number of officials suspected of aiding Russia in kidnapping tens of thousands of Ukrainian children and forcing them to change their citizenship identities.
The European Union announced that the sanctions were imposed on 23 institutions and individuals. At the same time, the UK also imposed broader sanctions on 85 individuals and entities, around a third of whom are linked to what is referred to as Russia's campaign to forcibly deport and militarize Ukrainian children.
According to the European Union statement, Russia has forcibly deported and relocated nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children since Moscow launched a full-scale invasion in February 2022. The European Union referred to these actions as a serious violation of international law.
The European Union stated that the sanctions target institutions and individuals involved in Russia's pro-Russia indoctrination program for children, including patriotic activities, ideological education, and military-oriented activities.
The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans. This step was approved by the 27 member states of the European Union and coordinated with Canada and the UK, which also announced similar measures.
"Stealing children is not incidental. It is a deliberate Russian policy, a calculated attack on Ukraine’s future," said the European Union's Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, in a press conference citing a report from Al Jazeera.
In response, high-ranking officials of the European Bloc at the European Union officials meeting referred to Moscow deliberately stripping the identities and robbing the culture of Ukrainian children. Some other victims were even sent to military camps. "Russia is trying to erase their identity. When you look at the Genocide Convention, it’s one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it’s very serious," said Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze at a meeting in Brussels as reported by France 24.
Although the EU and the UK accuse Russia of committing war crimes, Moscow claims that they are trying to protect and relocate children from the battlefield. The Kremlin is also ready to repatriate them to their families if their identities can be verified. Around 2,200 children have been repatriated but have encountered difficulties in identifying them as some were abducted when they were young, making their adult identities difficult to recognize.
The European Union, along with Canada, hosted the International Coalition meeting for the Repatriation of Ukrainian Children, which includes 47 member countries, to urge Russia to make efforts to verify the abducted children.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on March 17, 2023, for war crimes consisting of deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the sanctions imposed on Moscow. "These are the ones who ‘rewire’ the identity of Ukrainian children, help make them hate their homeland, and one day take up arms to fight against Ukraine," he said.
Read: Ukraine: Russia Breaks Ceasefire Overnight, Zelenskyy Says
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