BRUSSELS — The European Union on May 11, 2026 imposed sanctions on 16 officials and seven centers accused of helping Russia abduct and indoctrinate tens of thousands of children from Ukraine. The asset freezes and travel bans targeted individuals and facilities responsible for actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, EU headquarters said.

The sanctioned centers are suspected of indoctrinating children or training them to serve in armed forces for Russia or pro-Russian militias inside Ukraine. The sanctioned officials include heads of children's camps, government representatives and military officers in charge of youth training. More than 130 people and entities are now under EU sanctions over the abductions of Ukrainian children.

Since early 2022, an estimated 20,500 children have been unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred to Russia or Russian-held territories in eastern Ukraine. EU officials say many of the abducted children have been stripped of their Ukrainian identity and culture, given Russian passports and put up for adoption, while some are forced into schools for indoctrination or into military camps.

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže said, "Russia is trying to erase their identity. When you look at the Genocide Convention, it's one of the features of the genocide crime. So, it's very serious."

One of the 16 officials targeted was Lilya Shvetsova, head of the "Red Carnation" camp in occupied Crimea. The EU determined that Shvetsova supported and implemented actions and policies contributing to the deportation, forced transfer, forced assimilation, including indoctrination, or militarized education of Ukrainian minors. The EU cited "Activities aimed at shaping the political and ideological views of children present at the facility, including Ukrainian children."

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions. The EU and Canada hosted a meeting of the 47-country International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children to increase diplomatic pressure on Russia and support work to verify and trace abducted children.

Around 2,200 children have been returned since 2022. Identifying returned children is complicated because those taken at a young age can be difficult to recognize a few years later, and some are not welcomed when they return.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos said, "War has really many faces, but stealing the children is really one of the most horrific. We should stop this, and Russia should pay."