EU sanctions Russian officials over deported Ukrainian children

The European Union has imposed sanctions on 23 Russian state institutions and officials over what it described as the systematic unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children.

The measures include asset freezes and travel bans.

The bloc said the people and bodies targeted were involved in programmes subjecting children to pro-Russian indoctrination, including patriotic events, ideological education and military-oriented activities.

The sanctions were approved by the EU's 27 member states.

The move was announced in coordination with Canada and Britain, which also introduced similar measures on the same day.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the decision, while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the removal of children was a deliberate Russian policy.

The issue has become one of the most sensitive parts of the wider Russia-Ukraine war.

Since Russia's invasion in February 2022, Moscow has been accused of forcibly transferring around 20,000 children from parts of Ukraine seized by its army.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 over the abduction of Ukrainian children.

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