Ukrainians hid orphaned children from Russian deportation - The Associated Press - en Español

Russians were suspected of seizing orphan children and sending them to Russia, so staff at the children’s regional hospital in Kherson city began fabricating orphans’ medical records to make it appear like they were too ill to move.

Throughout the war Russians have been accused of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories to raise them as their own.

Earlier this year, The Associated Press reported that Russia is trying to give thousands of Ukrainian children to Russian families for foster care or adoption.

The AP found that officials have deported Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories without consent, lied to them that they weren’t wanted by their parents, used them for propaganda, and given them Russian families and citizenship.

Russian authorities have repeatedly said that moving children to Russia is intended to protect them from hostilities.

“We do not know the fate of these children … we do not know where the children from orphanages or from our educational institutions are, and this is a problem,” she said.

In July, the Russians brought 15 children from the front lines in the nearby region of Mykolaiv to Sahaidak’s rehabilitation center and then on to Russia, he said.

For some, the threat of Russia deporting children has brought unexpected results.