President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that the Russian delegation effectively admitted to the deportation of Ukrainian children during negotiations held in Istanbul on 2 June.
While avoiding confirmation of the total number involved, Russian officials reportedly accepted that some children had been removed from Ukraine and taken to Russia.
The talks, which included representatives from both sides, featured a direct exchange on the issue of forcibly displaced children. The Ukrainian delegation presented a list of nearly 400 names, requesting discussion of their return. Russia responded with an offer to consider only ten of those cases.
In a briefing delivered on the evening of 2 June, Zelenskyy emphasised that this constituted a significant moment, not in terms of numbers, but in the implicit recognition of the act itself.
“They said they did not take twenty thousand children. At most, they admitted the issue concerns hundreds,” Zelenskyy stated. “But I believe this is an important development. Not because of the number — but because they acknowledged the fact itself. The fact has been recorded.”
Zelenskyy also criticised the dismissive attitude of the Russian delegation, led by Vladimir Medinsky. According to a report by The Economist, Medinsky characterised Ukraine’s submission of the child deportation list as a “show for bleeding-heart European old ladies with no children of their own”. Zelenskyy confirmed this remark had been made during the meeting, indicating it reflected Moscow’s unwillingness to engage seriously with the humanitarian issue.
Ukrainian side passed on list of 100s of children deported to Russia. A source with knowledge of the exchanges says head of Russian delegation Vladimir Medinsky responded thus: “Don’t put on a show for bleeding-heart European old ladies with no children of their own” (2/3)
— Oliver Carroll (@olliecarroll) June 2, 2025
This was the first official disclosure by Kyiv regarding the content of the Istanbul negotiations. The deportation of children has been a central accusation in international legal proceedings against the Russian leadership. Ukrainian authorities maintain that over 20,000 children have been forcibly transferred from occupied territories including Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia to Russian territory or Russian-controlled areas, in most cases without parental consent.
In March 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, charging them with the unlawful deportation of children — a violation of international humanitarian law constituting a war crime.
The Russian government has consistently denied these allegations, claiming the children were evacuated for their safety or taken into care due to war-related circumstances. However, Ukrainian and international investigators report that many of the children have been placed with Russian families, adopted without legal consent, or sent to state institutions, and subjected to forced assimilation.
The Istanbul meeting, while yielding no immediate breakthrough on repatriation, marked a rare direct discussion between the two sides on a humanitarian issue. Zelenskyy indicated that Ukraine would continue to demand the return of all children removed by Russian authorities, regardless of the number Moscow is willing to acknowledge.
“They may speak about hundreds now, but this is a starting point,” Zelenskyy said. “The key thing is they have accepted the premise that they took children.”
Efforts to repatriate the children remain complicated, often requiring third-party mediation and the involvement of international organisations. Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for the establishment of a neutral international mechanism to locate and return deported minors.
The talks in Istanbul took place amid broader scrutiny of Russia’s conduct in occupied territories, with reports continuing to emerge of forced passport issuance, ideological re-education in schools, and separation of children from their families.
Zelenskyy’s statement follows renewed calls by European Union institutions and human rights bodies for Russia to provide access to independent monitors and cooperate in verifying the identities and locations of deported Ukrainian children. The European Parliament has adopted multiple resolutions demanding the immediate return of all affected minors and accountability for those responsible.
