Did Russia abduct Ukrainian children in occupied territory? Here’s all about online ‘slave catalogue’

Ukraine has accused Russia of running an online platform to advertise abducted Ukrainian children for adoption by Russian families. Activists and officials claim this digital “slave catalogue” disguises forced child transfers as humanitarian care.

Allegations of Online Catalogue for Abducted Children

The NGO Save Ukraine says almost 300 children are listed on the portal. They are labelled as “orphans” or “left without parental care.” Campaigners say many were forcibly taken from their families and re-registered with Russian documents. They are then “matched” with Russian families.

Mykola Kuleba, head of Save Ukraine, called the system “digital trafficking” and a “slave catalogue.” He said these children are not war orphans but had families, names, and Ukrainian citizenship.

Search Filters by Appearance and Personality

The Times reported that the catalogue allows users to search children by age, gender, health, and physical traits. Filters include hair colour, eye colour, and personality types such as “calm” or “active.”

The portal is reportedly operated by the so-called Ministry of Education and Science in Luhansk, part of the Russian-installed Luhansk People’s Republic. The area is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine.

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Children Taken Before and After Occupation

Some children listed were born after Russia seized parts of Luhansk in 2014. Kuleba says most were born before the occupation and held Ukrainian citizenship. Kyiv claims the catalogue is part of a broader campaign of mass child abductions since Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. Ukrainian officials estimate that tens of thousands of minors have been abducted.

International Reaction and Legal Action

Yale researchers, UN experts, and legal authorities have stated that such deportations could be considered war crimes. In 2023, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and children’s commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova over the illegal transfer of Ukrainian children.

Russia maintains that the relocations are humanitarian. Ukraine says survivors have reported being beaten, starved, and forced into re-education camps where they are banned from speaking Ukrainian.

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Forced Indoctrination and Identity Erasure

Earlier in 2025, Moscow announced plans to send 60,000 abducted Ukrainian children to summer camps in remote areas. Ukrainian presidential adviser Daria Zarivna said these children are being prepared to serve in Russia’s future wars.

Lvova-Belova, sanctioned by Britain, has publicly spoken about adopting a boy from Mariupol. She is accused of overseeing the process of stripping Ukrainian children of their identities and placing them in Russian homes.

Rescue Efforts and Ongoing Crisis

Ukraine’s Bring Kids Back Ukraine initiative has rescued nearly 700 children. Thousands remain unaccounted for. Ukrainian Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets has described the abductions as genocide. He stressed that no peace agreement will be reached until all children are returned.

“These children are not commodities,” Lubinets said. “They are victims of a campaign to erase our nation’s future.”

FAQs

What is the Russian “slave catalogue” of Ukrainian children?
It is an online portal run in occupied territory listing abducted Ukrainian children by physical traits and personality, allegedly for adoption by Russian families.

How many Ukrainian children have been abducted by Russia?
Ukraine claims tens of thousands of minors have been taken since the 2022 invasion, with only around 700 rescued through official recovery initiatives.