Russia’s Lvova-Belova Admits to Kidnapping Ukrainian Orphan to Russia Despite His Resistance

Russia’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, recently gave an interview where she described taking 15-year-old orphan, Pylyp, from occupied Ukrainian city of Mariupol to Russia. Pylyp, who had lost his mother at 10, had expressed a strong dislike for Russia and did not want to live there, according to Lvova-Belova’s account on October 21.

Lvova-Belova recounted meeting Pylyp while she was “collecting children from basements” in Mariupol after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

She claimed that Pylyp, after being abandoned by his foster family amidst the war, approached Russian soldiers and asked to be transferred to safety. He eventually met Lvova-Belova, who took him in and offered him a place in her home.

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However, she mentioned that Pylyp struggled with post-traumatic stress due to the bombings in Mariupol and had a negative attitude towards Russia.

According to Lvova-Belova, the boy expressed his discontent by saying: “I love you, you’re my mother, but everything else—Moscow, Russia—irritates me. I don’t want any part of this.”

She added that he would often sing Ukrainian songs, which “provoked” her, and spent time reading pro-Ukrainian content on the internet.

Despite his initial resistance, Lvova-Belova claimed that over time Pylyp began to change his views, no longer wanting to return to Mariupol and even preferring life in Russia.

She further stated that he eventually accepted his situation and no longer held onto the hope that things could change.

It is important to note that on March 17, 2023, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Maria Lvova-Belova and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, accusing them of war crimes related to the unlawful deportation and transfer of children during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has kidnapped over 19,000 Ukrainian children.

Previously, it was reported that Head of the Office of the President, Andriy Yermak, announced that two Ukrainian teenage girls have been rescued from territories under Russian occupation, thanks to the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Bring Kids Back UA initiative.

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