Support The Moscow Times!

Russia Returns 9 Ukrainian Children With Help From Qatar

Maria Lvova-Belova and Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Maria Lvova-Belova / Telegram

Authorities in Moscow returned nine Ukrainian children with the help of Qatari mediators, Russia’s presidential commissioner for children's rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, announced Thursday.

Lvova-Belova posted photos on Telegram showing her alongside Qatari Ambassador Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, speaking to the children at the Qatari Embassy in Moscow.

“There are eight boys, ages 12 to 17, and one 17-year-old girl. She had been living with her grandmother in Crimea but wanted to reunite with her mother in Kyiv, so we facilitated her return,” Lvova-Belova wrote.

She added that her office has helped return 80 children from Ukraine and third countries, as well as 13 children from families with relatives in Russia. Lvova-Belova also thanked Qatari mediators for their support.

AFP, citing Qatari officials, later reported that four Russian children were also returned as part of the negotiations. However, Kyiv disputed that report, saying that “Ukraine has not kidnapped and does not hold Russian children on its territory, nor does it prevent their return to Russia if they are on our territory.”

Ukraine’s Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets said no “exchange of children” took place, accusing Western media outlets of “promoting Russian narratives.”

I ask Ukrainian and international journalists not to spread more Russian propaganda and contact official sources,” he wrote on Telegram

Since July 2023, Qatar has helped bring back scores of Ukrainian children taken to Russia and occupied territories. Kyiv accuses Moscow of unlawfully taking over 19,000 Ukrainian children since the full-scale invasion, a claim the Russian authorities deny.

Fewer than 400 children have been returned to Ukraine so far. In April, through Qatari mediators, Ukraine submitted a list of 561 children whose return it is seeking from Russia.

Last year, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, accusing them of unlawfully deporting children from Ukraine.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more