Russia has deported more than 20,000 Ukrainian children who were transported to the filtration camps first and then transferred either to foster families or to the Russian adoption system, Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak told South African media at a briefing.

"Systemic forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia is a violation of the international law and an obvious attempt to destroy their Ukrainian identity. These children are subject to forced assimilation and this must be stopped," News24 quoted him as saying.

According to Yermak, Russia's deportation of children is aimed at their forced integration in the Russian society and at destroying their Ukrainian heritage.