Kathrine Frich
The database contains profiles for 294 children.
The database contains profiles for 294 children.
Russian “Adoption Catalog” Sparks Outrage
A Ukrainian NGO has accused Russian occupation authorities of creating an online “catalog” offering Ukrainian children for adoption. sortable by features like eye and hair color.
Critics say the practice amounts to modern-day child trafficking under the guise of humanitarian care.
294 Children Listed in Occupied Luhansk
The database, hosted on the website of the Russian-controlled education department in Luhansk, contains profiles for 294 children.
Each entry includes photographs, age, gender, physical characteristics, and personality descriptions, some disturbingly labeled as “obedient” or “calm.”
Ukrainian Children Taken From Their Homes
According to Mykola Kuleba, head of the Save Ukraine charity, most children in the catalog were born in Luhansk before Russia’s occupation and held Ukrainian citizenship.
Many, he says, were issued Russian identity documents to legitimise their abduction.
A Grim Statistical Reality
Ukraine has officially identified more than 19,500 children taken by Russia during the war, with just 1,480 returned so far.
Officials warn the true number could be far higher, possibly 150,000 to 300,000, according to different Ukrainian government estimates.
Children Orphaned or Made Orphans
Kuleba claims that in some cases, parents were killed by occupation forces.
Others had their families broken apart through forced deportation.
Many were moved deep into Russia, including Moscow and distant regions, or placed with Russian families.
Online Filters for Age, Appearance, and Adoption Type
The Luhansk website lets users filter children by age, hair and eye color, and whether they are available for adoption or foster care.
Activists say this chillingly mirrors a “slave market” presentation, reducing human lives to checkboxes and search criteria.
“This Is Child Trafficking”
“This is child trafficking in the 21st century, and the world needs to act to stop it immediately,” Kuleba declared.
He described the catalog as part of a system designed to maintain adoption numbers despite declining domestic demand in Russia.
A Long History of Deportations
Kuleba notes that deportations began long before the 2022 full-scale invasion.
Since 2014, children from Crimea and occupied areas of Donetsk and Luhansk have been systematically moved to Russian families, often far from their homeland.
ICC Arrest Warrants for Putin and Lvova-Belova
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Children’s Commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova.
They are accused of personally orchestrating the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children.
Moscow’s Defiant Rejection
During peace talks in Istanbul, Russian officials refused Ukraine’s demand to return abducted children, dismissing it as “a spectacle for childless old European ladies.”
Yet they openly admitted relocating hundreds of minors from Ukraine.
Save Ukraine’s Mission
Founded in 2014, Save Ukraine works to rescue and support vulnerable children, including those abducted from occupied territories.
The group continues to document cases and push for the return of every child taken during the conflict.
