Ukraine: Abducted Children and Mechanisms for Accountability

Hearing Notice

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on the abduction of Ukrainian children and ongoing accountability efforts related to the Russia-Ukraine war. 

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, the war continues to exact a devastating toll on civilians, civilian property and critical infrastructure. According to UN estimates, 15,000 civilians have been killed and 41,000 injured, with millions displaced. 2025 was the deadliest year in the conflict since 2022. 

Children have suffered violence and abuse in the conflict; at least 766 children have been killed and 2,540 injured. According to a Ukrainian government-backed initiative, some 20,000 children have reportedly been forcibly removed from Ukraine, including those placed in at least 210 facilities in Russia and subjected to ideological training and military-style programs. It reports that 2,003 children have been returned to Ukraine, including through the efforts of First Lady Melania Trump.

This unlawful deportation and transfer of children is the basis for the 2023 arrest warrants issued for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children's Rights Maria Lvova-Belova by the International Criminal Court. Additional accountability mechanisms underway include Ukraine’s pursuit of a Genocide Convention case against Russia at the International Court of Justice; a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry’s detailed reports documenting war crimes committed in occupied Ukrainian territories; and the European Court of Human Rights ruling that Russia can be held accountable for human rights violations. 

In addition, on June 25, 2025, the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine was launched through an agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine, which would address the core act of aggression that triggered the war. 

The hearing will provide an update on the status of efforts to account for and repatriate deported children from Ukraine and ongoing accountability efforts related to the conflict. Witnesses will discuss key actions that Ukrainians are leading to address human rights violations, ensure justice, and strengthen accountability mechanisms, as well as how international partners and the U.S. Congress can support these initiatives.

The hearing will be held in person and is open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. The hearing will be livestreamed via the Commission website. For any questions, please contact Todd Stein (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Mark Milosch (for Co-Chair Smith).

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