Russia's deportation of children aims to erase Ukrainian culture - UK envoy to UN

Ambassador Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the UN, said this at a meeting of the UN Security Council, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"This is not a humanitarian evacuation. This is a systematic erasure of Ukrainian culture, with significant obstacles put in place to prevent Ukrainian children being reunited with their families," she said.

She highlighted findings from a Yale Human Rights Lab study, which identified 314 Ukrainian children removed from Donetsk and Luhansk and relocated to at least 21 regions in Russia. The study revealed that 166 children were placed directly with Russian families.

"We call on Russia to cease these deportations immediately and return all Ukrainian children home. And to stop its attacks on children's homes, schools, and the infrastructure that would keep them warm this winter," Woodward said.

She also called on Putin to stop destroying childhood for Ukrainian children.

On Wednesday, December 4, the United States announced new sanctions against Russian officials and occupation authorities involved in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children and other gross human rights violations.