EU and UK Impose Sanctions on Russian Institutions Over Ukrainian Children

The European Union and United Kingdom have imposed sanctions on Russian institutions and officials accused of involvement in the deportation and indoctrination of Ukrainian children during the war in Ukraine. The EU announced measures against 23 state institutions and people on Monday.

The UK simultaneously announced a broader package targeting 85 people and entities, with roughly a third linked to what officials described as Russia’s campaign to forcibly deport and militarise Ukrainian children. Russia has deported and forcibly transferred nearly 20,500 Ukrainian children since it launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, according to an EU statement.

The statement described the actions as grave breaches of international law.

The EU said its designations target institutions and individuals involved in programmes that subject children to pro-Russian indoctrination, including patriotic events, ideological education and military-oriented activities. The sanctions, which include asset freezes and travel bans, were approved by the EU’s 27 nations in coordination with Canada and the UK.

“The UK sanctions announcement named the Centre for Military and Patriotic Training and Education of Youth, known as the warrior centre, a Russian state institution at which Ukrainian children are reportedly subjected to military training and pro-Kremlin ideology.

Also targeted was Yulia Sergeevna Velichko, the Moscow-installed minister for youth policy in the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic, for her role in implementing state-led initiatives. UK officials said the country would continue working alongside allies to support efforts to identify and trace children who had been taken.

Russia does not deny taking the children but has said it has done so for their protection, moving them away from front-line areas. Russian officials have stated they are willing to return them when relatives come forward and can be verified. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2023 for the war crime of illegal deportation of children from Ukraine.

The UK’s sanctions package also targeted Russian information warfare operations. The remaining measures hit individuals and entities linked to alleged Kremlin propaganda campaigns, including 49 people working for the Social Design Agency, a state-funded Russian organisation accused of running disinformation and interference operations.