On May 11, Canada announced additional sanctions against Russia in response to the government’s violations of the rights of Ukrainian children. This announcement was made by Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand during a meeting of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children in Brussels.
The new sanctions target 23 individuals and five organizations linked to these violations. Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, thousands of Ukrainian children have reportedly been illegally deported or forcibly displaced, as well as subjected to indoctrination and militarization by Russian authorities both in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
“These actions are unacceptable and must cease. The illegal deportation and forced relocation of children constitute serious violations of international humanitarian law and a profound infringement of human rights,” stated the Canadian government.
Canada has now imposed sanctions on over 80 individuals and organizations for their involvement in these abuses. Among those sanctioned are Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, along with regional officials and other individuals responsible for the illegal deportation and forced relocation of children, including their ideological indoctrination and militarization. The sanctioned entities encompass governmental and other organizations implicated in these violations.
“Canada urges the Russian authorities to immediately return Ukrainian children to their communities and to fulfill their international legal obligations. The return of these children is both a humanitarian imperative and a central element in achieving a just and sustainable peace in Ukraine,” the statement continued.
Canada has committed to collaborating with like-minded partners to coordinate further measures aimed at increasing the economic costs on the Russian regime for its aggressive war against Ukraine.
Since 2014, Canada has enacted sanctions against more than 3,400 individuals and entities involved in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as in serious and systematic human rights violations.
On the same day, the European Union’s Council imposed sanctions on 16 individuals and seven organizations responsible for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. The United Kingdom also announced sanctions against 85 individuals and organizations linked to the deportation, indoctrination, and militarization of Ukrainian children. This included 29 individuals associated with Russia’s systematic campaign of deportation and forced militarization of Ukrainian children, alongside another 56 individuals responsible for the Kremlin’s information warfare.
According to Daria Gerasimchuk, the Ukrainian President’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, as of late March 2023, Ukrainian authorities confirmed that over 19,500 children had been taken from temporarily occupied territories to Russia. Accurate counts are challenging due to the conditions of occupation.
On April 5, 2023, 49 countries issued a joint statement condemning Russia for organizing a Security Council meeting regarding the alleged legal grounds for the abduction of Ukrainian children from occupied territories. The United Kingdom blocked the broadcast of remarks by Russian Children’s Rights Commissioner Lvova-Belova on UN platforms, calling for her to be held accountable before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
The Office of the Prosecutor General has indicated that there is currently no single transparent algorithm or mechanism in place to facilitate the return of deported Ukrainian children from Russia.
On March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Lvova-Belova, who are suspected of illegal deportation and relocation of Ukrainian children.
On February 17, 2026, President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that 2,000 Ukrainian children had been successfully returned to Ukraine.
Canada has announced new sanctions against Russia, targeting individuals and organizations involved in the violation of Ukrainian children's rights. This move is part of a broader effort to address the illegal deportation and militarization of children amid the ongoing conflict.