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ECHR Probes Russia Over Illegal Adoptions of Ukrainian Children From Occupied Crimea

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Photo of Liubava Petriv
Liubava Petriv
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ECHR Probes Russia Over Illegal Adoptions of Ukrainian Children From Occupied Crimea
Children sit under the world’s largest Ukrainian flag held by protesters at the Ellipse in Washington, DC, on March 8, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

On April 15, The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) officially began reviewing a case concerning the adoption of Ukrainian children by Russian citizens in Crimea, a region under temporary Russian occupation since 2014.

According to a statement from the Office of the President of Ukraine in Crimea on April 15, the case — filed under application No. 6719/23 — was submitted by the Ukrainian Helsinki Human Rights Union (UHHRU).

It addresses concerns over the relocation and adoption of children who were residing in state care institutions at the time of Crimea’s annexation.

The application highlights that children aged between one and five years old were not returned to Ukrainian authorities following the change in control, and their whereabouts were not disclosed.

Reportedly, profiles of these children later appeared on Russian adoption websites. Some of the profiles have since disappeared, raising concerns that adoptions may have already taken place.

UHHRU claims that in 2014, Russia granted citizenship to over 4,000 Ukrainian children from Crimea who lacked parental care.

The ECHR has requested a formal response from the Russian government by July 31, 2025.

Previously, it was reported that a total of 618 children have been killed and at least 1,884 injured since the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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