London — Britain has imposed sanctions on 11 individuals and organizations linked to Russia, targeting what it described as Moscow’s campaign to deport and indoctrinate Ukrainian children uprooted by war, reported by Reuters.
Ukraine estimates more than 19,500 children have been taken to Russia or Russian-occupied territories without family consent, calling the practice a war crime that meets the United Nations’ definition of genocide. Moscow counters that it is sheltering vulnerable minors from the conflict zone.
“The Kremlin’s policy of forced deportations, indoctrination and militarization of Ukrainian children is despicable,” Foreign Minister David Lammy said, unveiling the measures, which include asset freezes and travel bans.
Among those sanctioned is the Akhmat Kadyrov Foundation, accused of running “re-education” programs that subject Ukrainian youths to militarized training. Its president, Aymani Nesievna Kadyrova — mother of Chechen strongman Ramzan Kadyrov — was also named.
The Russian embassy in London dismissed the move as unlawful, denouncing what it called “unfounded claims” from Kyiv. “We call upon the UK authorities to refrain from baseless accusations,” it said in a statement.
The dispute comes amid growing international scrutiny of Russia’s treatment of Ukrainian minors. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova, citing responsibility for the abductions. Both Moscow and its allies condemned the ruling as “outrageous.”
Ramzan Kadyrov defended his mother on Telegram, insisting she was devoted to humanitarian work and uninvolved in politics. He accused the West of acting out of “hatred and Russophobia,” calling the sanctions proof of “rotten Western politics.”
A UN human rights report earlier this year concluded that Russia had inflicted “unimaginable suffering” on millions of Ukrainian children since its full-scale invasion began in 2022.
