EU sanctions 10 people and 17 entities over deportation of Ukrainian children

The Council of the European Union has adopted restrictive measures against 10 individuals and 17 entities linked to actions against Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence. The measures are directed at those responsible for the systematic unlawful deportation and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and to temporarily occupied territories.

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The Council said the conduct also includes forced assimilation, indoctrination and militarised education. It identified listed entities as including the Moscow City Tourism Committee and two Russian companies operating in children's recreation, tourism and entertainment services, which were described as organising activities focused on Russian history, war commemorations and military-patriotic education.

The package also lists children's camps and sports centres in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine for their role in cultural reorientation, propaganda-based education and military-patriotic activities aimed at integrating children into Russian identity frameworks. Songdowon International Children's Camp, a state-operated institution in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, is also included because it participates in organised programmes involving the transfer of Ukrainian children from temporarily occupied territories in coordination with the Russian Federation.

Among the individuals listed are Rustam Minnikhanov, President of the Republic of Tatarstan, whom the Council said facilitated the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to camps in his region, as well as ministers and deputy ministers of education and science in occupied territories, the Minister of Sports and Tourism of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, and heads of children's camps and schools. Those listed are subject to an asset freeze, and EU citizens and companies are barred from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.

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Natural persons are also subject to travel bans. The Council said Russia has deported and forcibly transferred over 20,500 Ukrainian children since the start of its war of aggression against Ukraine.

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