The russian genocidal war on Ukraine has wrought devastating destruction, pollution of Ukrainian agricultural land, an appalling number of killed and injured people, and illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to russia. While UNWLA is doing everything possible to provide medical and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, our key mission remains support for Ukrainian women and children.

In 2023, in response to the confirmed thousands of cases of illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to russia, UNWLA launched an advocacy campaign called  “Return Ukraine’s Children”. 

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the issue among Americans. We also advocate for the recognition of the responsibility of the russian government for the crimes against Ukrainian children, which falls under the definition of genocide.

Currently, we continue gathering co-sponsors among US Representatives and Senators for the Resolution (H.Res. 564  S.Res. 236 ), which demands that all Ukrainian children abducted by Russia be returned before any peace deal is finalized. 

In the last Congress, we helped gain support for H.Res. 149 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-resolution/149 ), which called for holding the russian government responsible for the illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine, condemned those actions, and declared that illegal adoptions of these children are contrary to the Genocide Convention.  Representative Susan Wild recognized UNWLA members’ advocacy efforts in her speech supporting the Resolution.   This resolution passed the House on March 19, 2024 by a vote of 390-9.

However, there is more to do!

While waiting for the Resolution to be introduced for a vote in the Senate , we encourage you to keep reminding your elected officials about the issue and urging them to vote for the Resolution once it’s up for a vote. 

Please call and email the office of your elected officials today. Here are comprehensive instructions to follow and share with your network. 

Tell your representatives in the Congress that Ukrainian children must be returned home from russian captivity, and those responsible for the abduction must be held accountable under international law.  Ask them to co-sponsor S.Res. 236 or H.Res. 564.  If they have already done so, thank them!

Timeline of the events 

Early in the russian war on Ukraine,  news about the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories to russia surfaced and attracted the attention of the international community. Later in 2022, it became a known fact that russia had abducted thousands of Ukrainian Children. 

Later, in February 2023, the State Department issued a briefing describing the full scale of the crime against Ukrainian children. On the same day, Yale Conflict Lab issued a detailed report analyzing camps and re-educational programs of Ukrainian children launched by russia. 

The UN held two sessions, “Gross Human Rights Violations due to the Aggression Against Ukraine”:    Session 1, Session 2

February 21st, 2023, Congresswoman Susan Wild introduced a resolution condemning the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine to the russian federation. H.Res.149 

March 17, 2023 – International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants against Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, russian ombudswoman, for they are allegedly responsible for the unlawful transfer of Ukrainian children from the occupied territories. 

April 17, 2023, Senator Gary Peters introduced the Senate version of the Resolution condemning the illegal abduction of children from Ukraine to the russian federation. S.Res.158

April 2023, the UNWLA Advocacy Committee launched the Advocacy campaign “Return Ukraine’s Children” which aims to build awareness of the issue and advocate among elected officials to formalize recognition of the crimes by the US government.

November 7, 2023 – The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the Resolution and recommended it for a vote by Congress. 

December 7, 2023, International Conference “Freedom or Fear”: Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets stated that the government has confirmed that 19,500 Ukrainian children were illegally abducted and transferred to the russian federation. 

January 11, 2024, Reuter’s special report How Russian Officials and their collaborators spirit away Ukrainian children

January 31, 2024, The US Helsinki Commission held a hearing Eyewitness Accounts: Ukrainian Children and Adult Civilians Abducted by Russia https://bit.ly/3ufzB9y 

March 19, 2024, The U.S. House of Representatives passed the H.Res.149 

December 3, 2024, Yale Lab issues report which documents russia’s intentional, systematic and widespread program of coerced adoption and fostering of Ukrainian children. https://files-profile.medicine.yale.edu/documents/aa3bcb47-c4db-4d86-994c-22489c70581b 

In March, 2025, all federal funding for Yale Humanitarian Research Lab (Conflict Observatory) cut by Trump Administration.  https://www.npr.org/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5333328/trump-admin-cuts-funding-for-program-that-tracked-ukrainian-children-abducted-by-russia 

June 18, 2025, S. 2119 (Abducted Ukrainian Children Recovery and Accountability Act) introduced by Senators Blumenthal and Klobuchar.

May 20, 2025, S.Res. 236 introduced by Senator Grassley, with six original cosponsors.   

June 30, 2025, H.Res. 564 introduced by Representative McCaul, with original cosponsor Gregory Meeks.   

September 16, 2025, Yale Lab issues report which documents russia’s network of over re-education and militarization camps for abducted Ukrainian children. 

October 10, 2025, S.2119 passed Senate vote as an amendment to the NDAA. 

December 4, 2025, the Senate holds a momentous hearing regarding Ukraine’s abducted children, titled “The Abduction of Ukrainian Children by the Russian Federation,” with bipartisan and bicameral participation and testimony. 

Additional Resources