The European Union is preparing new sanctions against individuals and entities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories in Ukraine, which it considers responsible for the deportation and so-called “re-education efforts” targeting Ukrainian children taken illegally from their country.
In the proposed sanctions, the EU describes Moscow’s actions as “a serious violation of international law and a breach of children’s fundamental rights, aimed at erasing Ukrainian identity and undermining the preservation of future generations.”
The EU has already blacklisted several organizations and individuals involved in these deportations over the past three years, and on May 6, EU ambassadors are expected to approve additional sanctions against more than a dozen new names.
One of the entities proposed for sanctions is the Smena Children’s Center, which is linked to Russia’s Ministry of Education.
According to the document, the center “hosts Ukrainian minors forcibly displaced from occupied territories,” where they are subjected to ideological indoctrination, “Russification,” and militarized education.
Another entity is the Avangard Military Camp, which the EU says sends children for “political indoctrination and activities aligned with militarized and cadet educational frameworks, including military training and discipline.”
Two additional organizations based in the Russian-occupied Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea are also identified as centers for the “re-education, ideological indoctrination, and militarization of children.”
Russian officials deny the illegal removal of Ukrainian children, portraying their actions instead as humanitarian efforts—providing shelter, food, and protection—or as a necessity due to disrupted services in war-affected regions, as the conflict enters its fifth year.
Women Make Up Majority of Those Sanctioned
Unusually for EU sanctions, women make up the majority of those targeted with proposed asset freezes and visa bans.
Many of them are managers of camps and educational institutions housing Ukrainian children, such as Lilya Shvetsova, who oversees the “Red Carnation” camp. According to Brussels, the camp runs programs that “include educational and training activities promoting pro-Russian narratives, patriotic messaging, and elements of military-patriotic training.”
Another individual, Natalya Shevchuk, is described as leading several “military-patriotic clubs” in Russian-controlled Ukrainian territories aimed at promoting narratives that portray the Russian Federation as a “peaceful” and humanitarian actor, while simultaneously spreading pro-Russian ideology and undermining Ukrainian national identity among minors.
Other targets include children’s ombudspersons and commissioners allegedly involved in relocating Ukrainian children into Russian families, as well as individuals engaged in pre-military training of minors or facilitating meetings with Russian military personnel—initiatives often backed by the Kremlin under the slogan “Dialogue with Heroes.”
The new sanctions are expected ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers from Canada, Ukraine, and the EU, along with senior officials from nearly 50 countries, scheduled to take place in Brussels on May 11 to discuss ways to return Ukrainian children.
The meeting is organized by the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, launched by Canada and Ukraine two years ago and now comprising 47 members, including most European countries, Australia, Japan, and the United States.
So far, the coalition and its members have secured the return of around 1,600 children to Ukraine, while it estimates that “thousands” remain in Russia or in Russian-controlled territories.
According to the meeting invitation seen by Radio Free Europe, the focus will be on developing policy tools to ensure the safe return of the children.
These include improved monitoring and verification systems, support for Ukrainian and international NGOs involved in return efforts, increased funding for post-return protection mechanisms, and intensified efforts to sanction those responsible for deportations.
