The head of the President's Office, Andriy Yermak, and U.S. Special Representative, General Keith Kellogg, met at the Child Rights Protection Center to address the issue of returning children forcibly deported by Russia.

Yermak shared this information via Telegram.

«Joining us were Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets, the President's Advisor on Children's Rights Daria Gerasimchuk, and co-chair of the international expert group Bring Kids Back UA, Lady Helena Kennedy. We discussed the mass violations of human rights by the Russian Federation, including the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children and the detention of civilians in occupied territories and in Russia,» Yermak noted.

Yermak introduced the Bring Kids Back UA initiative, which unites the efforts of the state, civil society, and international partners. He emphasized that this issue is not just humanitarian, but a matter of global justice and security.

«Ukrainian children cannot be bargaining chips. On June 2, Ukraine officially submitted the initial list of children and a formal request for their return to Russia. We are now awaiting action from the Russian side,» Yermak emphasized.

According to him, over 16,000 cases of illegal detention have been recorded, with at least 1,800 occurring in Russia. Approximately 900 children have died, and over 2,000 have been injured. There have been at least 19 documented cases of sexual violence against children.

«These crimes must be stopped. Together, we will bring every child home,» Yermak concluded.