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Zelenskyy Hands Over List of 400 Abducted Ukrainian Children to South African President

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Amira Barkhush
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Zelenskyy Hands Over List of 400 Abducted Ukrainian Children to South African President
A woman with a child at the site of the explosion after the Russian missile attack on April 14, 2025 in Sumy, Ukraine (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy handed over a list of 400 children, who were abducted by Russia from temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories, to South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Zelenskyy shared this information during a joint press conference with the South African President.

“This is important to us. Children are in Russia against their will. Unfortunately, due to the war, we face this horrific issue. The Russians have abducted tens of thousands of children from temporarily occupied territories in Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy.

“We must bring them back. South Africa is a co-leader in the coalition to return Ukrainian children. I sincerely hope that President Ramaphosa will help us bring them home.”

The President also reminded that Russia holds thousands of prisoners of war and continues to abduct and imprison Ukrainian civilians.

Zelenskyy arrived in South Africa on April 24, but had to cut the visit short following a large-scale Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine that left dozens injured and at least nine people dead in Kyiv.

Russia has abducted more than 19,500 Ukrainian children since the start of its full-scale war, forcibly relocating them to Russia, Belarus, and other temporarily occupied territories, according to the Ukrainian government. To date, 1,284 children have been safely returned to Ukraine.

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