Members of the European Parliament have called on Russia to immediately, safely and unconditionally return Ukrainian children who have been deported or forcibly transferred during the war.
The Parliament condemned what it described as the systematic deportation and forcible transfer of children, as well as illegal adoption, forced Russification, indoctrination and militarisation, according to a resolution adopted on Thursday.
The resolution was passed by 536 votes in favour, eight against and 37 abstentions.
MEPs said Russia must stop these practices and remains responsible for respecting the rights of children under its control.
The Parliament said the return of children is an obligation under international law and must not be used as a bargaining instrument or made conditional on territorial concessions, prisoner exchanges or other political agreements.
As of September 2026, 20,651 cases of deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children by Russia had been verified, while about 1.6 million Ukrainian children were estimated to remain under Russian occupation.
The resolution said 2,752 Ukrainian children who were deported, forcibly transported or rescued from Russian-occupied territories had been returned as of 28 October 2026.
Calls to link returns to any peace deal
MEPs declared that the safe and unconditional return of all unlawfully deported and forcibly transferred children should be a central priority in diplomatic initiatives and negotiations on any “genuine peace agreement” ending the war.
The Parliament also called on EU member states to strengthen practical cooperation with Ukraine, international partners and organisations to speed up the identification, documentation, tracing and return of missing and deported children.
It urged the EU to expand existing sanctions against officials and entities identified as responsible for child deportations.
The Parliament reiterated its support for the International Criminal Court and its arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s children’s rights commissioner, Maria Lvova-Belova, over the alleged war crime of unlawful deportation and transfer of Ukrainian children.
MEPs said accountability should extend beyond Russia’s top leadership to those involved across the chain of responsibility, and backed cooperation including Europol and Eurojust — EU agencies that support cross-border police and judicial work — alongside the Ukrainian Ombudsman to gather information and locate children.
